"Ode To Divorce" by Regina Spektor

from Soviet Kitsch

I've been listening to this album over and over for the past few days and it's starting to drive the people around me insane. This is deeeeeeeeeeeefinitely not for everyone; she can get a little wacky now and again and her lyrical stylings can cause a bit of cognitive dissonance; Maurice Chimney referred to this as "dinner theatre music." Didn't think I'd like her based on the name and the album art and her general affiliations, but when it comes down the music, I'm really feeling it. She's got skills.
Help a brother out.

"Paper Tiger" by Beck

from Sea Change

Somehow I forgot to pack the power adapter for my powerbook and the janky yet surprisingly pricey hotel Scott and I are staying at in Austin only has one computer with a dial-up connection. So we spent the afternoon on this epic journey to the Apple store at the Benton Creek mall so I could buy another one. While waiting for them to find the power supply for my totally outdated Pismo G3, I messed around with those iPod-dock-stereo-things and the song I used for A/B-ing them was this classy number by Beck. Now we're lounging comfortably in the lobby of the hotel using the incredibly slow wireless connection, sipping our Dos Equis and listening to some smooth French horn/keyboard jazz being performed live.

"Karen" by The National

from Alligator

Woke up really early today, feeling like The City is finally mine again. The sun is back in all its glory and I'm lovin every minute of it. Rode slow through the streets this morning trying to really dig into this record. Upon first listen yesterday afternoon, I thought these guys might've lost the plot a little bit; I wasn't immediately struck by anything on this album. But these tunes are slow revealers, and this one really stuck with me the second run through. Love the lyric about the guy doing the "ballerina on the coffee table, cock in hand." Pure class.

"All" by Phoenix

from Both of them

Perfect band to listen during this morning's commute. I just can't hack this rain any longer and Phoenix always transports me to bright summer days, cruising on speedboats and just loving life. Can any Chimneys recommend any artists similar to Phoenix, as I've played these two albums to death? Oh yeah, thanks to Sorcerer for turning me on to them in the first place.

"Wasp Nest" by The National

from Cherry Tree

I first heard The National's full-length a few months back after a strong recommendation from M.C. Taylor Chimney. I definitely enjoyed it from the get-go, but it wasn't until this recent drive across the country and repeated listens that I started to love this band. As soon as we got back into town I rushed to Amoeba and picked up this new E.P, a perfect companion piece to the album. Their sound runs the gamut from triumphant rockers to intimate maudlin little numbers, the best part for me being the singer's lyrics which reveal a strong love for those melancholy American authors like Yates and Carver. I even see a few similarities to the C&S in that this band is not afraid to be totally HI-FI

"All" by Devendra Banhart

from Nino Rojo

I love this new Devendra record. I think it's even better than the one that came out in the spring, if that's possible. There's really great boozy-sounding brass and lyrics about little white monkeys and dancing crabs, which I think everyone can enjoy. I don't know any of the track titles, but I really like the one where he sings "Put me in your suitcase..." It's been stuck in my head for days.

"Wolf Song" by Patrick Wolf

from Lycanthropy

Brilliantly out of nowhere, this 20-year-old genius has floored me with his magical alchemical brew of Baudelairian imagery, theatrical vocals and shambolic blend of recorders, accordions and violins. Additionally, I have a particular penchant for those who employ the wolf motif. Highly recommended.

"Everything Is Everything" by Phoenix

from Alphabetical

After waiting several years for the release of another Phoenix album (Sorcerer turned me on to their first one) I'm really enjoying this new one. It's been the perfect soundtrack for cruising around town these past few days of sweltering heat. This track, in particular, kicks off the album with style. The guitars sounds like they were sampled and then played on a MIDI keyboard. Kinda hard for me to describe this music as it falls outside the realm of what I usually dig. I guess I like the Lindsay Buckingham style guitar riffing and the laissez-faire vocal delivery ala Donald Fagen. There's something beautifully sleazy about this music.

"Silence" by The Autumn Defense

from Circles

Man, these guys are the discovery of 2004 for me. In my experience, really earnest, powerful pop music is really hard music to write. Dispensing with exercises in genre and style and just putting some great melodies and really direct, straightforward lyrics out there is splendidly difficult to do, and most folks fail miserably at it, IMHO. That's why it's so exciting to find a band like this, that makes pop music so beautiful, so pure. This song is a soft, meandering little number with gentle guitars, xylophones and soaring harmonies, among other things. Pretty bummed I didn't get to catch these guys playing with C&S a few weeks back. I heard they were amazing. Enjoy the silence

"When You Were A Child" by Dave Cousins

from Two Weeks Last Summer

This guy/track is probably barely of interest to anybody since this guy is from that band The Strawbs that nobody really ever pays any attention to. But, I think the Strawbs are pretty great, at least the early albums, plus Sandy Denny was the singer at the beginning. Oh yeah, back to this song. It's a real simple little ballad, just Dave and his piano, but his fragile voice and the plaintive melody are ever so nice, and I really like it about two-thirds of the way through when somebody puts all this reverb on the piano.