PODCAST!!!

It's late, but it's here. I titled it "Tired and Crotchety" for a reason!

Direct Download


1) Six Parts Seven, "Falling Over Evening" (from Suicide Squeeze)

2) The Folk Yous, "Heat of the Moment" (Asia cover) (from their Myspace)

3) BM Linx, "Understanding Orange" (sent to me in an e-mail from the band). Their Website and Myspace

4) Bloc Party, "So Here We Are" (Peel Session) (from their Website)

5) Old 97's, "Adelaide" (from their Website)

6) Youth Group, "Shadowland" (from anti.com)

7) Boy Least Likely To, "Be Gentle With Me" (from last year's South By Southwest Website)

This podcast includes a mistake. Yes, a mistake. Me, a mistake. A music mistake. I thought the song "Shadowland" was originally done by Echo and the Bunnymen or Ian McColloch (sounds like one of their songs!) but I was getting it mixed up with "Candleland", which is an Ian McColloch song. I was going to start all over so I could erase my shame, but I'm tired and only 3 or so people download these podcasts anyway (and that's including me), so I'm letting the glory of the moment ride.

I was so sure it was a cover that I closed out the podcast without verifying. Oh well. Lesson learned (hopefully).

So like a $3 bill or a book with ten page tens, the mistake will be starkly tangible. There for all who hear it. Maybe it'll be worth something one day!

Whoo hoot! Another Sunday, another Cerulean's Love of Music. The main thing I have to report is I'm going to be using Zshare again for most of the songs, which means no direct download. That sucks. I like direct download because then people can just fly through the posts and stream the songs. With Zshare, though, you can click on the link and you'll go to a page where you can either stream the song or download it. Whichever.

Also, it's Podcast week. I'll either have the podcast up tonight or tomorrow. I haven't even begun thinking about it, so my guess is it'll be tomorrow.

Five Songs I'm Loving This Week

Maria Taylor, "Good Start"

I don't know your opinion, but I think this is an excellent start to the post. Maria Taylor has one of the most beautiful and striking voices I know of, and she could make anything sound extraordinary. Luckily, we don't have to settle for just anything. We get really good songs, too. "Good Start" is from her new album Lynn Teeter Flower (out in March), her follow-up to last year's 11:11. I remember 11:11 because it had the near-perfect song "Song Beneath The Song". I love that song so much that even now, over a year after I first heard it, I still get it in my head sometimes.

This will be another song like that. I'll start singing it when I'm vacuuming. I'll start singing it on the bus, which won't be as embarrassing as the other day when I started singing "Self-Control" by Laura Branigan. It won't be as embarrassing because hopefully I won't also be employing the broad, melodramatic, sweeping hand gestures like I do whenever I act out a Laura Branigan or Bonnie Tyler song.

To clarify: I'm not comparing Maria Taylor to Laura Branigan or Bonnie Tyler. Both Laura Branigan and Maria Taylor are superior to Bonnie Tyler, but the 12 year-old in me isn't prepared to choose between Laura Branigan and Maria Taylor. I'm just saying they've both staked a place out in my song memory for all time.

Maria Taylor's from my adopted hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, also. That's cool.


She's just so dang pretty. Maria Taylor's Label Site (with more mp3 downloads) and her Myspace (she doesn't list another website).

The Magic Numbers, "Forever Lost" (direct download)

I saw this video on Youtube and I just fell in love with the song. It's one of those really well-constructed songs that just flow. The song does not have to work hard to be a great Indie Rock song. It's just natural. I've heard of the band before--they're getting a lot of buzz. Sometimes a lot of buzz keeps me away from a band until I stumble onto them on my own, as I did in this case. Oh, and showing that I, too, get my Indie bands mixed up sometimes, I had to check and make sure this wasn't The Magic Words, a band whose songs I posted a few months ago. "Forever Lost" is from the album Those The Brokes.

I'm going to put it in EZArchive because it's a fairly high quality mp3 to begin with. This means it will be direct download.


The Magic Numbers' Myspace, Website and really cute partially animated video for "Forever Lost"

These United States, "So High So Low So Wide So Long"

It's kind of freaking me out how much this sounds like M. Ward. It really sounds like M. Ward. I like it, though, which makes sense 'cause I like M. Ward. It's got a very blues-y bass guitar; the bass guitar reminds me of some Velvet Underground/Lou Reed songs. It's also got a really weird, almost grating (but in a good way) guitar noise. Like someone's pulling at the strings wrong. I really like their description on their Myspace site:

"These United States is the songs of Jesse Elliott, flipped, forged, phased, and fermented; stolen, re-taken, elongated and elevated, beaten and bruised, occasionally imbued, by an ever-battling band of music-mad robber-barons, enthused aesthetic thieves of the long and winding subway tunnels and underground railroads of our cacophonous nation."

Someone needs to tell them, though, that they don't need to list their influences in a single file line. Their influences aren't participating in a fire drill.

If they were in a fire, though, who would make it out first? I bet Andrew Bird would fly, so he might be first. Billie Holiday would be too busy singing about the flying Andrew Bird--she wouldn't make it. I don't know who Manu Chao is, so he wouldn't make it. Aimee Mann would find a river to skate away on, so she'd make it. Wait--if she finds a river, though, maybe she could put out the fire? C'mon, Aimee! You have the chance to save thousands of musicians! The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have their motorcycles, so they'd be okay. Maybe they'd bring some people with them...? The Violent Femmes would write an iconic, dirty song about the situation, but that doesn't speak to whether or not they'd survive. We can only hope they'd survive. I hope the Talking Heads make it because we have one of their songs coming up, and it'd put a dour note on the Five Songs post if they don't. They're just heads, so surely someone could hold them...The Flaming Lips have their spaceships and hot air balloons; they'll be fine. Bonnie Raitt will survive anything. She'll be here long after we've gone--the power is in the streak in her hair. Lou Reed will ride out on an awesome bass line. Neutral Milk Hotel will try to throw milk on the fire to put it out, but will it work? If Aimee's river doesn't work (not to mention CCR's clearwater) then I doubt milk will.

Oh well--we'll just have to see who makes it through. What was I talking about?


These United States look like they're having a really good time. Their Website.

The Exies, "Once In A Lifetime"

This sounds so different from the original that I did not recognize it until recently, after hearing it several times. I didn't even recognize it while I was listening to it--I just happened to be looking through my mp3s and realized the name of this is "Once In A Lifetime". A little tiny lightbulb went off in my head and I wondered "Is that...?" "Nah..." Ah, but it is! They've slowed it down to the point where it could be done by any one of yer singer-songwriters...your Joshua Radins, your Josh Ritters...all sorts of people named Josh. It's always great to hear a favorite song done in a new (and not sucky) way.


Ecology Alert! The Exies know something that not many people do. It's more energy efficient to use a black background than a white background. There's actually a push to get Google to change its background. I don't see it doing that, but maybe a nice blue or yellow...The Exies' Myspace and website...oh, nevermind. Their website redirects to their Myspace.

I wonder how much energy would be saved world-wide if I just calmed down, already...

Frightened Rabbit, "Be Less Rude"

Don't be silly--fright is for kids! Okay, I know. That was lame. I don't want rabbits to be frightened--I like rabbits. I want them to be hopping around like they're supposed to be. I want them to eat plants and vegetables. I want them to twitch their whiskers. I want them to be free. So, yeah, the name of the band makes me sad, but I like the name of the song. We should all be less rude. Yes, even me--though I held back very well today when my neighbor decided to do SIX LOADS OF LAUNDRY on a SUNDAY--nevermind that we all share one washer and one dryer. I was not rude--I calmly waited for her after her fifth or so load and told her that I needed to do at least one load so I could have something to frikkin' WEAR so that I could go out and do something today. I waited for two hours thinking surely no one would be senseless enough to do more than two or three loads of laundry on a Sunday when there are most likely other people waiting to use the machines. So yeah, I held back. I didn't yell or get snotty. Okay, so I'm a little sick so I was snotty. In fact, I'm sure it looked like I was crying, which is regrettable. Sure I was mad, but I don't want anyone to think I was crying because I didn't get a turn at the laundry machine. I mean, I'm not 9 anymore.

Anyways, this is a really cool song.


What's coming out the top of his jeans? Frightened Rabbit's Myspace and Website. Oohh..according to their Myspace site, they've shared bills with some awesome acts: My Latest Novel, Nina Nastasia, Mum...how cool! ("Be Less Rude" is from their album Sing The Greys).

BONUS!

Okay, there are two songs I've absolutely loved this week, and they would've been in this list, but I get a "would get a cease and desist letter" vibe from them. I couldn't find a copy of "I Still Remember" by Bloc Party because every time I found it on a blog, it was listed as "taken down by request". So, I'm going to heed the broken path in front of me and just post the video. If the lead singer from The Dears is a black Morrissey, then the lead singer of this band is TOTALLY a black Ian McCulloch. If you don't believe me, then listen to alot of Echo and the Bunnymen songs. If you still don't believe me, then at least you've heard some great music.

Bloc Party video, "I Still Remember"

Oh, it's so pretty! I will remember you, Bloc Party song! There's a live version of the song for keepsies on this site. Yes, I said "keepsies". What of it? No, I'm not crying...I just have the sniffles.

Kristen Hersh, "In Shock"

Of course there is always a special place in my heart for Kristen Hersh. Once again, not gonna go up against the label (4AD). Here's the video--a beautifully saturated piece featuring just her and her guitar. If you really like the song, you can find it online. I'm just not going to take the chance...

Kristen Hersh was of course in Throwing Muses. This is a video of Throwing Muses' from back in the day. I remember that day. I wasn't old then, or as grumpy, or as tired. I used to think I could do harmony to this song. 17 years later and I know I can't do harmony to this song--my how time allows us to accept things about ourselves. The other member of Throwing Muses, Tanya Donelly, went on to form a band called Belly. This video from Belly is a little less further back in the day, but still pretty far back. Both members of Throwing Muses have gone on to do wonderful solo work.

I love Youtube. It's the bestest. Yeah, the quality sucks, but it's better than not having the videos at all.

Wake me up when my nostalgia-fest is over, please.

*Oh God...she's watching videos by The Sundays. Someone take the Youtube away from her...I think she's crying...*

Five Songs I'm Loving This Week

This week I'm going to try stay focused; try to stay a little on-topic (just a little--it's an experiment).

Honestly I've been very stressed out the last few months (sick kitty, sick mother) and it's fun to go a little crazy once in awhile. Well, it's funny until the ambulance shows up.

EZArchive still seems to think I'm dangerously close to exceeding bandwidth limits, which seems odd considering that I didn't use EZArchive last week. I guess that just shows that people are downloading older songs. Yay people! So, I'm going to use ZShare again. I don't mind--the files seem to be permanent (though the FAQ says that if a file isn't downloaded for 10 days, they'll remove it...we'll have to see if any of mine get deleted) and it lets you preview the track and it shows me how many times the songs have been downloaded (people are actually downloading this stuff!). The only thing I don't like is that it's not direct download. That's very inconvenient and not at all desired in a music blog. People should be able to click the link and have it download automatically. Oh well. Bare with me, people...I'll get a little consistency one day.

I got a comment that the quality using ZShare (which I used this week and last week) is better than EZArchive (which I had been using). I post the songs as I find them (meaning I have no control over bitrate), but please let me know which hosting site you think has the best quality.

So, on with the post. None of these are direct download. Please click on the link, and then click "download file" right above the preview window.

Essex Green, "Don't Know (Why You Stay)"

I've written about this band before, but I don't mind repeating myself if the song is worth it, which this song is. I love punchy guitar songs. Is it a burden? No, not when I keep finding so many great punchy guitar songs. It also helps that this guy has a really cool voice. I love the progression of this song--the vocals climb up and up, and the guitar keeps the same quick pace. If I were dancing to this song, I bet I'd be dancing really fast. If I were cleaning to this song, I bet I'd be cleaning really fast. Hush--I'm not going to clean just 'cause I said that. I already cleaned today. I'm tired. It's Five Songs post time.


They start 'em off young in the Essex family. Look--an Essex Green Website and Myspace. "Don't Know (Why You Stay)" is from their latest album, Cannibal Sea.

Youth Group, "Sorry"

I got this through an e-mail list I'm on called Fingertips. The facilitor of the e-mail list is a fan just like me; just a better organized, more motivated fan. One day I'll have lists and a real website, and candy for all the good boys and girls, and a nice house...(The Fingertips guy has the first two things--I don't know about candy and a house). "Sorry" is another punchy song, with a veneer of alt-country. I haven't heard many (read any) alt-country Australian bands, so this is a rarity for me. I love the violin part--one of the hallmarks of an alt-country song. The other songs I've heard from them are more alt-pop than alt-country--more mp3s are available through this site (if it comes up as "all files", change the extension to .mp3).


Youth Group didn't realize after complaining so vocally about their tour bus that their tour bus driver would leave them. Youth Group's Website, Myspace and Label Site. "Sorry" is from their recent album Casino Twilight Dogs.

Thirteen Senses, "Into The Fire"

Ahhh...piano ballad. How Lola loves the piano ballad. Watch her swoon, watch her eyes dialate as she dreams of many intense, dramatic, candlelit nights with the piano balladeer. Watch her drift off into dreams of romantic swooniness only English actresses can really accurately reproduce. Watch the resigned sadness as she remembers how whiny and emo-ish piano balladeers tend to be. Watch her shrug her shoulders and look for a picture of Thirteen Senses online.

Website and a Myspace. My 13th sense specifically tells me that "Into The Fire" is from the album The Invitation.

Buildings Breeding, "Emmawood"

Nice slowcore type song, but unlike most slowcore, the singer's voice is clear and the lyrics are intelligible. The singer has a sweet, unhurried voice--perfectly matched to the even-tempered guitar and drumming. It's slowcore that wants to be heard. They also have the funniest origin story I've heard. The band began as a concept--sort of a Myspace joke. Chris Larson, the "founding member" made up a fake band, put them on Myspace and began writing fake songs for the vocalist Melanie Glover to sing. He realized she had good rhythm, too, so he bought her drums. Then they had a band. After that, two more members (Evan Hart and Jesse Miller) joined (information culled from their press release). So, there you go. Hey--if a fake Myspace band can turn into a real band, maybe a fake Myspace photographer can turn into a real photographer.


Back slowly away from the building...easy...easy...run! The building is breeding! It's multiplying! Buildings Breeding (damn buildings...someone oughta get them fixed) has a Myspace, a label site and even a Lastfm listing! I didn't find a regular ole website, though. They have a new record called Married to the sea...carried to land, but according to Lastfm, "Emmawood" doesn't appear on it.

Final Fantasy, "He Poos Clouds"

Hee! Okay, go ahead and laugh at the name. It's funny. He poos clouds. It's apparently supposed to be a compliment, 'cause I guess clouds don't stink (though with the levels of pollution in the air, they probably do). Oh well. Final Fantasy is one guy--Owen Pallett , and he did the string arrangements on Arcade Fire's debut, Funeral. Funeral being one of my most favorite albums ever, and the strings being absolutely fantastic. So yeah, I like this. It's kind of weird, kind of trippy, but it's definitely original. It's not really the kind of song I bop along to; it's more the kind of song I study and am fascinated by.


Owen Pallett steals from the poorly dressed and gives to the even more poorly dressed. He has a website, but the only Myspace I found says it's fan run (yet it's friended on Myspace by the label...).

I want to be in a band. I want to take fun-looking pictures in far off locales. Maybe I can contact Sheffield Quigley and make it happen, even without the band.

Podcast!

Playlist:

Nightmare Of You, "The days go by so slow" (Buffer music, underneath me talking)
from this site

Patrick Watson, "Giver" from Fingertips and Secret City Records

Cale Parks, "Wet Paint" from Polyvinyl Records

Plus/Minus, "Steal The Blueprints" from Absolutely Kosher Records

Summer at Shatter Creek, "My Neighbor's having seizures" from their website (I can't find the page now, so here's the direct link to the MP3)

Bellman, "Spaceship, Move Slow" from their website

Inlits, "Pictures of Trees" from his label site

Five Songs I'm Loving This Week

Whoo! Okay, let's see if my post can be as scattered as last week's! Whoo! First I'll start talking about how a lot of cool shows are starting back this month (Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, Psych) and then I'll talk about my how my grandmother used to make strawberry flavored cake for me, and then I'll post some random lyrics to a song*

Well, instead of all that, maybe I'll just do my post. I've been cooped up a lot the last few weeks, and it's beginning to show in my inability to stay focused and

FIVE SONGS I'M LOVING THIS WEEK

Note: EZArchive seems to think I've surpassed my bandwidth--whatever! I think they're mistaken. I think they want to give me 5 times the amount of bandwidth. They're not listening, though. So, until it rolls over on the 19th, I'm having to use a site I've never used--ZShare. I don't know what the quality will be like. I apologize, but there's nothing I can do about it. I'm saving Libsyn for my podcast (which should also be done today if I finish this post). Also, they're not direct downloads. It takes you to a page where you can either hit "download this file" or preview the song in a window.

Guillemots, "Made Up Lovesong #43"

I love any band that gives its band members their own name. The name of the band is Guillemot, but according to the entry in Wikipedia (always right, you know), Two of the band members are known as the Bridled Guillemots. Hmmm...does that mean they're enslaved? Should I call someone? Is there an Amnesty International chapter that specializes in freeing captives held due to their musical beliefs? Am I being random again? Am I even listening to the song? I am. I love the thunderclaps in this song, I love the orchestral bits, I love that he talks about dragons. I love how he says there's poetry in a coke can. I just love the frikkin' lyrics.


Birdies! So, the name of Guillemots' album is Annie, Let's Not Wait. Are they talking about Annie Lennox or Annie? It's not clear. I definitely wouldn't wait with Annie Lennox. Norwegian Annie? I like her, but I'd be worried about getting bubblegum stuck all over me. Guillemots' Myspace, and Website. Look! I've even got a video for it!

Malcolm Middleton, "Fuck It, I Love You"

Heh. What a straightforward song title. Makes you wonder if he's always this blatant with his loved ones. Will he say "Fuck It, Let's Get Married" or "Fuck It, Go And Have My Baby" or "Fuck It, Fuck Off". It certainly conserves on word usage (probably helps on bandwidth!) Hmmm...maybe I'll follow his example.

Fuck It. I Love This Song. He reminds me of Mike Doughty (from the album A Brighter Beat).


Malcolm Middleton is grinning like the cat who ate the birds in the first picture. His Website and Myspace

Jedi Mind Tricks, "Outlive The War (Feat Sean Price & Block Mc Cloud)"

It's really not that often that I like a hip-hop song. I like Missy Elliott, DJ Danger Mouse (and by extension Jay-Z, though I wouldn't have liked The Black Album as much without the White Album mashed up with it) and a few others. I found a song I absolutely adored right at the outset--it's by a band with one of the most awesome names I've ever heard--Jedi Mind Tricks. Star Wars hip-hop--I love it! I love that sample they use, though I don't know where it comes from. It's very aristocratic sounding--I keep picturing Kirsten Dunst in her Reeboks and huge Marie Antoinette wig. She looked like a cake. A white cake, with maybe a hint of strawberry. My grandmother used to make strawberry cake for me with strawberry icing. I loved those cakes.

Anyhoo, it's a pretty cool song. It's from their newest album Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell


Jedi Mind Trick say "It's cold here in Philly". Their Website, Myspace and Wikipedia entry.

Kent, "747"

Kent is apparently a common surname in Sweden. I don't think there's anyone in the band named Kent, but then again I don't think there's anyone in the band Gomez named Gomez. I'm certain there was no one in The Smiths named Smith. I don't think any of the fab four were named Beatle. So it's not so unusual.

It's also not unusual for me to like a Swedish band. I don't know what it is--maybe it's the snowy remoteness of that country. Maybe it's because it's such a small country--I subconsciously pick up on the unity the citizens have. For some reason I just love Swedish music. Norwegian, too, but mostly Swedish. It's long--almost 8 minutes, but it's worth every second to me. This isn't their only good song--I've heard five or six so far, and they're all beautiful. "747" appears on their most recent album, Isola.


The one in front must be the lookout.

Kent's Website and Myspace. I wish I could read Swedish.


Masonic, "End Of Summer"

Hmmm...with a name like Masonic, you think the band would be all about conspiracy theories involving the Free Masons and ancient rituals. I dunno--maybe they are. This song doesn't sound very dark and paranoid, though. It sounds very flowery and summery. Very pretty. The singer has a smooth, rich voice, reminiscent of Swing Out Sister (go consult an eightiesary) or Texas (go consult a Scottishmusicary). The song itself seems to be about the oldest of topics (no, not crops). It's about love--the refrain is "It's never easy, it's not that easy to say goodbye". Anytime anyone in a song mentions the word goodbye, it's a love song (or the end of their set--one or the other.) It's a memorable song, though, and one that I doubt will ever sound dated (mostly due to the music, but also due to the subject matter).

Ooh, and they're from Austin! I love Austin! I am so going to SXSW one day--before the continent realigns and it has to be renamed Even Further South By Southwest). Whoa---remember how I was talking about how there wasn't anyone named Kent in Kent, no one named Smith in The Smiths, etc? Three of the band members in Masonic are named Mason. Weird, huh? If they're ever enslaved because of their music beliefs, and they're freed, then they'd be Free Masons! Ha Ha...(trails off into silence).


The continents must already be shifting! The Masonics' Website and Myspace.

END NOTES:

I'll try to get my podcast out tonight, but it's already mid-afternoon, and you can tell by this post that I'm clearly exhausted :) (and perhaps on something...No, I'm not-- It just seems that way). If I don't get it done today, I'll do it tomorrow. I have tomorrow off anyway.

Thanks, folks! Hope you were able to follow everything I wrote! If not then just click on the links to get to the music ;)


PROMISED RANDOMNESS

***Okay, not so random. I actually found this the other day online--how I came across it, I do not know.This is the English translation of "Battlestar Operatica", one of the songs played in Battlestar Galactica season one. The song is originally in Italian but I was thrilled to read the English translation. I never could imagine the lyrics could be so profound and thought-provoking:

Woe upon your Cylon heart
There's a toaster in your head
And it wears high heels
Number Six calls to you
The Cylon Detector beckons
Your girlfriend is a toaster
Woe upon your Cylon heart
Alas, disgrace! Alas, sadness and misery!
The toaster has a pretty dress
Red like its glowing spine
Number Six whispers:
"By your command"
Woe upon your Cylon heart

***
Speaking of Battlestar Galactica, look--Six is in a video! Just kidding--it's not Tricia Helfor. Looks like her, though, huh?

***
Do you think this woman would let you wait?

Five Songs I'm Loving This Week

Say Hi To Your Mom, "These Fangs"

I've written about this band before; a few years ago I posted a song by them called "Let's Talk About Spaceships". I have a thing about songs with cute subjects. A song about fangs would apply, I believe (unless it's a vampire song--I guess that wouldn't be cute). They have a song called "I'm In Love With An Android". I just love them! I saw them in concert here in Jacksonville a few months ago--they put a really good show. Even though I didn't know most of the songs, I still enjoyed them all. This is who they think they are.


Maybe they're trying to tell us not to say hi to our mom? They're sending out mixed messages! Say Hi To Your Mom's Website and Myspace

Easterly, "Wicked Conversation" (remix)

What a wicked song! And I mean that in the best 80's way (I am a child of the 80's, afterall). The song follows more of a 50's/60's type path, though: falsetto male vocals steadily climb to a crescendo then abruptly fall--repeat throughout the song. The chorus is sharp and the transition from verse to chorus is almost flawless; the chorus is a logical extension of the main melody.

It's got an awesome lyric, too: "Illiteracy's your best defense". Ouch! If the person gets the insult, he/she should be very offended!


Easterly's Website and Myspace.

The Fabulous Rudies, "99 Luft Balloons"

Speaking of 80's...one guess as to what one of my favorite songs of the 80's was? Yep, I went around as a child kicking imaginary balloons (or were they imaginary?) and singing the only phrase from the German version I knew: "Captain Kirk". That's not even a whole line. Eventually I heard the English version enough to where I knew the lyrics. I don't know the lyrics any more; in fact, listening to this cover, I'm trying hard to remember the corresponding English lyrics, and they ain't comin' back. I remember "In this dust that was a city". I remember the lyrics were very powerful and very sad for me...perhaps the most profound thing this 8th grader had heard (besides maybe "New Religion" by Duran Duran).


The Fabulous Rudies even look fabulous. Their Website and Myspace

Shortwave Dahlia, "Song For Vara"

Nice electronica! I don't post a whole lot of electronic music because an electronic song has to be really exceptional to get my attention. I spent too many years in too many clubs to appreciate just any blip or bleep. It better be one frickin' fantastic blip and bleep, and these are pretty fantastic blips and bleeps. I think there may even be some sweeping guitar in there, too. The music could be a lost Cure song from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me era. The vocals are lovely, too. Usually with electronic songs, I like the music but cringe at whatever the band tries to pass off as vocals. Not in this case: in this case, the vocals fit the song perfectly. The singer doesn't overcomplicate his part--he doesn't try to go toe to toe with the swooping and souring instruments. Instead, he chooses a very low-key approach which blends in with the music well.


Huh...so that's what Billy Corgan's up to nowadays. Heh heh--no, that's not Billy Corgan. That's Jack Alberson and some of the other members of Shortwave Dahlia. Their Website and Myspace

Plus/Minus, "Fadeout"

I like the hushed vocals in this song. While the music is tense and driving, the singer seems to be letting his voice glide along on top of the music; content to let the instruments carry most of the tension. The two different approaches work well together. The tension doesn't stop building, either...no fadeout on that front. It becomes more frenzied until the song crashes and ends abruptly.


That must be one hell of a toothache that guy has. Plus/Minus's Website and Myspace

English Lyrics, "99 Red Balloons"

You and I in a little toy shop
Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got.
Set them free at the break of dawn
'Til one by one, they were gone.
Back at base, bugs in the software
Flash the message, Something's out there.
Floating in the summer sky.
99 red balloons go by.

99 red balloons.
floating in the summer sky.
Panic bells, it's red alert.
There's something here from somewhere else.
The war machine springs to life.
Opens up one eager eye.
Focusing it on the sky.
Where 99 red balloons go by.

99 Decision Street.
99 ministers meet.
To worry, worry, super-scurry.
Call the troops out in a hurry.
This is what we've waited for.
This is it boys, this is war.
The president is on the line
As 99 red balloons go by.

99 Knights of the air
Ride super-high-tech jet fighters
Everyone's a superhero.
Everyone's a Captain Kirk.
With orders to identify.
To clarify and classify.
Scramble in the summer sky.
As 99 red balloons go by.

99 dreams I have had.
In every one a red balloon.
It's all over and I'm standing pretty.
In this dust that was a city.
If I could find a souvenier.
Just to prove the world was here.
And here is a red balloon
I think of you and let it go.

Nena, "99 Luft Balloons" (1983)

(Wait--so 99 Decision Street isn't the sequel series to 21 Jump Street?)

I took German in high school and college (about a total of a year's worth). I remember eins, swei, drei...der, die, sie...and I'm sure a few other words.

In a better world I would've found the mp3 for the original version in English and/or German. Here's the video on Youtube, though! (The German video is also available--what cool earrings!)

(Lola: Bringing the 80's to the masses since 1990)

*Note: I got a comment about making my bitrates higher. I don't encode the mp3s myself, and I don't really know anything about bitrate. I thought I could raise the bitrate in EZArchive when I'm making the link, but it lets me choose a lower bitrate; it won't let me go higher. One day I'll ask a more computer savvy person than myself to help me re-encode, but for now the mp3s are as is. Most of them are encoded at a decent rate; it's just once in awhile you get a bad one. The mp3s on EZArchive are lower quality, anyway.

Anyways, I'm going to bed now. It's late. I'm glad I got this out on Saturday, though. Well, okay, so it's 11:51 p.m. I should have it uploaded before midnight.

I made a new podcast! I'm so proud! Let's all rejoice!

CERULEAN'S LOVE OF MUSIC, EPISODE TEN, In Which Lola Makes a Wise Decision, and Everyone in the World Takes Notice

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SHOWNOTES:

Band 1: 20 Minute Loop, "Ambassador", downloaded through the Daily Dose podcast (though I can't find it now)

Band 2: Jollyship The Whiz-bang, "Pyrate Love" from their site.

Band 3: Gentlemen Reg, "Give Me The Chance To Fall", found on their label's website.

Band 4: Tam Lin, "Dark Heart", courtesy of his website

Band 5: Haley Boner, "Captain, Captain" from the Spin Song of the Day.

Band 6: The Slip, "Even Rats", featured on Filter's Artist To Watch page.