Emitt Rhodes - With My Face on the Floor

Hey this guy sounds like the Beatles a little bit and he's from America.

That's really all I feel like saying about Emitt Rhodes. He's alright. Sounds just like John Lennon's son, Sean. This is one of his better songs, the rest are so-so. From this album anyway, I don't really have the where-with-all to look at the rest. I know I'm not really doing a good job of selling you on Emitt, but he's just kind of "eh" to me. But this song is pretty good. Give it a whirl. Or something.

Well, I'm down with my face on the floor
Yes, I got what I asked for and more
Well, the moment she stepped through that door
I was down with my face on the floor

Now I'm standing with back to the wall
Waiting, praying the ceiling don't fall
Well, I once thought that I knew it all
Now I'm standing with back to the wall

Well now she's gone away, just took time to say I'll drop you a line
Well now she's gone away, just took time to say I'll see you
some time (2x)

Well, I'm down with my face on the floor
Yes I got what I asked for and more
Well, the moment she stepped through that door
I was down with my face on the floor

Well, the moment she stepped through that door
I was down with my face on the floor...

Beck - Milk & Honey

I'm just going to start off on a completely unrelated note by saying I love ampersands and got really excited when I had to type it for the title of this song.
Anyway Milk & Honey. Great Beck song. It's largely underrated and from my favorite Beck album, Midnight Vultures. I love the chorus in this this song, with the backup vocals singing "Milk and Honey" in a almost Mo-town R&B fashion and the barrage of sci-fi guitar and synth effects.
Try listening to this song on your iPod and walking around. You cant help but feel like your putting your groove strut on.

Don't take your red ribbons off 
You're about to make a fool of yourself 
In the aluminum sunset, drinking from a drain 
I'm a hundred miles behind myself 
Milk and honey pouring down like money 
Make a poor boy wanna run 
Milk and honey, do you wanna love me 
Under the aluminum sun 

Did you hear those war-torn stories 
Where the lifeguards slept in the streets 
In the jungle lands with the cold cola cans 
You'll get the keys to the city for free 
Milk and honey pouring down like money 
Bring a poor boy to his knees 
Milk and honey, now it isn't funny 
Living in a garden of sleaze. 

Well, I can smell the V.D. in the club tonight.
Excuse me, please. Would you tell me how to get to the Soviet embassy? 

Bangkok athletes in the biosphere 
Arkansas wet dreams, we all disappear 
Kremlin mistress, ring the Buddha chimes 
She slips me ruffies, receding hairlines 
She's all right. . .touching my body 
She's all right. . .on my computer 
She's all right. . .selling me watches 
She's all right. . .ring on my finger 

Milk and honey pouring down like money 
Bring a poor boy to his knees 
Milk and honey, now it isn't funny 
Living in a garden of sleaze 
Milk and, milk and?do you wanna??honey! 
Milk and honey touching my body 

Milk and honey 
Milk and honey 
Milk and honey 
Milk and honey. . .

Peter Gabriel - Wonderful Day in a One Way World

Peter Gabriel. What a weirdo. Why did he have to leave Genesis? Oh well, at least he did a few pretty good albums on his own I suppose. This is a song from one such album. The album is called Peter Gabriel as is all of his other albums but the common name for it is Scratch. 
"Wonderful Day in a One Way World" demonstrates Gabriel's fondness of African style beats and rhythms and his use of fun catchy synth and guitar parts. The lyrics are typical Gabriel, discussing relativity, time, and Superman in a supermarket. I have no idea what he's talking about and its great.

Saturday is shopping day and I drive my car but there's no place to park it,
No respect for supermen in the supermarket.
I guess there must be trouble but I've not been alerted;
Looking round the store, it was all deserted
And I'm stranded here with my empty basket,
So full of questions but nowhere to ask it.

[Chorus:]
By the one way out, strange voice shouts,
"Don't let that good man out!"
"Have a wonderful day in our one-way world,
One way, one day;
Have a wonderful day in our one-way world,
One way, one day;
One-way man, one-way mind, get along with mankind."

There's an old man on the floor so I summon my charm,
I say, "Hey scumbag, has there been an alarm?"
He says "Yeah, I been selling off eternal youth,
They all got afraid, 'cos I'm the living proof.
My name is Einstein, do you know time is a curve?"
I said, "Stop, old man! You've got a nerve,
'cos there's only one rule that I observe:
Time is money, and money I serve."

[Chorus] 

Metric - Collect Call

Metric isn't one of my favorite bands, but they've got some great jams. For some reason, said really good songs always make me feel like something important is supposed to be happening. I dont know what it is but they just make me feel like they would be the song that plays over a turning point in a movie or when something major is about to be revealed.
Anyway, this song is an extremely relaxing new-wave-ish song. Its very rhythmic and flowing and the synth and guitar combo is so smooth.
I also just want to throw out there that Emily Heines voice is pure seduction. You, hear that Emily? Im single.

If the fire's out baby, How you gonna keep me warm?
Supposing you let me, with the door wide open no one can leave

I know its a lie, I want it to be true
The rest of the ride is riding on you
Over goodbyes we'll buy some place

For wishing you could
Keep me closer, I'm a lazy dancer, when you move I move with you
Keep me closer, I'm a lazy dancer, when you move I move with you

If somebody's got soul...You've got to make the move

I know it's a lie, I want it to be true
The rest of the ride is riding on you
Over goodbyes we'll buy some place

For wishing you could 
Keep me closer, I'm a lazy dancer, when you move I move with you
Keep me closer, I'm a lazy dancer, when you move I move with you

Flake Music - Spanway Hits

Flake Music are The Shins' James Mercer's first band (what a weird sentence). This band slowly morphed into the shins sometime around 2001, I don't know or feel like looking it up right now.
Anyway, their only full album When You Land Here, It's Time to Return is a low-fi indie jamboree. Its got its hits and misses, and "Spanway Hits" is definitely one of the...hits. The lyrical melody in this song is fantastic.  It jumps all over the place offering a sporadic, wavy cover over a toned down guitar that accents in all the right spots. You can definitely tell that James Mercer listened to Guided By Voices (see earlier post).
And of course who could forget Mercer's always cryptic, vivid lyrics.

Use a pen to reflect
what you've got left to protect
on the old dusty shelves
in your childhood room
you've got a lot to go on:
posters of Simon LeBon
all might help you decide
In case you ever try
They just want you to come by
The florist in foam
A rigid folk’s home in time that I might cry
Cut all these ties you’ll see
How far apart we are
No two of us sees or acts alike
Wasting time and pretend
You’ve got the words to defend
well every bias you’ve learned while being human
Remember that we all knew
Riding big wheels was cool
We’d give it all to be that dumb again
These are all bonds and ties
In spite of what they are
No two of us tells or thinks the same
Cut all these ties you’ll see
How far apart we are
Those are our bonds and ties
In spite of what they are

The Young Veins - Everyone but You

The Young Veins are a new band composed of the good half (Ryan Ross and John Walker) of Panic! at the Disco. Now I'm not really a fan of Panic! at the Disco at all, but I'm glad they exist because without them, The Young Veins never would have come to fruition. And thank god, they sound nothing like them!

Ross and Walker, in my opinion have a much better taste in music because you can really hear the influences shining through on their debut album Take a Vacation! 

"Everyone But You" is one of my favorites from it. Its a melancholy pop song that makes you feel like you're listening to a new pop band in the 60's. Really poignant, meaningful lyrics too albeit a bit on the sad side. "I know it sounds a little down/ but love is all I'm really after." 

It's a shame they are on indefinite hiatus right now because I want more from them.

A part of you left the room
I am left talkin' to the apple
She comes to me when I dream
I'm tired of counting sheep to see her
I sleep because I need her
And everybody knows it but you

A wedding ring is just a thing
That weighs you down and occupies your finger
I know it sounds a little down
But love is all I'm really after

She comes to me when I dream
I'm tired of counting sheep to see her
I sleep because I need her
And everybody knows it but you, but you
Everybody knows it but you

I hope you're all listening
I'm pouring out my heart for paper
A part of me still believes
That love is all I'm really after

She comes to me when I dream
I'm tired of counting sheep to see her
I sleep because I need her
And everybody knows it but you, but you
Everybody knows it but you

Everyone but you knows
Everyone but you
Everyone but you knows
Everyone but you 

Velvet Underground - Who Loves the Sun?

The Velvet Underground's most accessible album, Loaded offers many great tracks, but my personal favorite is the opening track "Who Loves the Sun?" It's a jangly upbeat song about a broken heart. The contrast between the lyrics and the music borders on humorous occasionally especially when they throw in the "Ba ba ba baaa's" in the chorus.

Another highlight of the song is the Beatles-esque breakdown. It comes out of nowhere and happily floats around before throwing you back into the chorus. After the breakdown you stop and wonder if it actually happened.

I

The Band - Ophelia

This was the first song by the band I heard that really made me appreciate them. This version is the version I heard, and its from their final concert entitled "The Last Waltz" which I highly, highly recommend. I just bought it today and finally got to see the whole thing. It was filmed by Martin Scorsese and features a crazy amount of special guests. If I had a time machine, I definitely would go to/have been at this concert. You can't help but smile seeing how much fun they are having playing music together, which I truly think is what music should be about. Those crazy Canadians.

Boards on the window
Mail by the door
Why would anybody leave so quickly for
Ophelia?
Where have you gone?

The old neighborhood 
Just ain't the same
Nobody knows just 
What became of
Ophelia?
Tell me what went wrong? 

Was it somethin' that somebody said?
Mama I know we broke the rules
Was somebody up against the law? 
Honey, you know
I'd die for you

Ashes of laughter
The ghost is clear
Why do the best things always disappear?
Like Ophelia
Please darken my door.

Was it somethin' that somebody said? 
Honey, you know we broke the rule
Was somebody up against the law?
Honey you know 
I'd die for you


they got your number
scared and runnin'
but I'm still waitin' for
the second coming
of Ophelia
come back home

Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts - Tank!

http://www.last.fm/music/%E8%8F%85%E9%87%8E%E3%82%88%E3%81%86%E5%AD%90/Cowboy+Bebop%3A+O.S.T.+1/Tank%21

Quite possibly one of the best theme songs in the world. Cowboy Bebop. What a show. I don't get in to too much anime, but this one took a bunch of my favorite things (space westerns, bounty hunters, the loner character, sci-fi, welsh corgis, and stylish action) and combined it all with smooth jazz. The way Cowboy Bebop used music should be a lesson for all those movies who just throw a heavy rock song over all the action sequences and call it good. Also the dark, noir-esque story is just brilliant. And let me also just say, Im glad it was only one season. The creators told the story and finished it and didn't look back which I also think should be done with current TV series and movies. Stop beating dead horses, Hollywood.

Portugal. the Man - Home

VIDEO BONUS!

Grooved up version of the already groovy song "Home" by P.TM. These 4 Alaskan audiophiles recently played at SXSW and this video is one of the highest quality live videos I've seen of them. I'm really glad that they're music is finally starting to spread. They definitely deserve it having released an album almost every year since 2004ish.

Alex Turner - Stuck on the Puzzle

http://www.last.fm/music/Alex+Turner/_/Stuck+on+the+Puzzle

Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys fame recently released a short EP for the British indie film "Submarine" and I think this is the highlight from it. I've always liked his lyrical ability. He has a certain conversational way of singing that borders on bloody poetic. Very image oriented. I can only wish of coming up with some of his lyrics. I hate to sound like some sentimental indie hipster wuss, but if i had to pick a song to fall in love with my dream girl to, it would be this one.

I'm not the kind of fool 
who's gonna sit and sing to you, 
about stars, girl. 
But last night I looked up into 
the dark half of the blue, 
and they'd gone backwards. 

Something in your magnetism 
must have pissed them off, 
forcing them to get an early night. 

I have been searching from 
the bottom to the top, 
for such a sight 
as the one i caught when I saw your... 

Fingers dimmed in the lights 
like your used to being told that you're trouble 
and I spent all night 
stuck on the puzzle 

Nobody I asked 
knew how he came to be the one 
to whom you surrendered 

Any man who wasn't led away 
into the other room 
stood pretending 

But something in your magnetism 
hadn't just made him drop 
whoever's hand it was that he was holding. 

I have been searching 
from the bottom to the top, 
for such a sight 
as the one I caught when I saw your... 

Fingers dimmed in the lights, 
like your used to being told that you're trouble, 
and I spent all night, 
stuck on the puzzle. 

I tried to swim to the side, 
but my feet got caught in the middle, 
and I thought I'd seen the light, 
but oh, no. 
I was just stuck on the puzzle. 
Stuck on the puzzle.

Guided By Voices - Game of Pricks

http://www.last.fm/music/Guided+by+Voices/Alien+Lanes/Game+of+Pricks

I first stumbled upon this because of the show IT Crowd. The creators of that show must have a huge obsession with GBV because they mention them all the time. "Game of Pricks" from Alien Lanes really got me into them so maybe it'll work for you too.

This song has an awesome chord progression and melody. Robert Pollard has a knack for writing catchy vocal melodies and brilliant lyrics and I really think this song showcases his talent.

I've waited too long to have you
Hide in the back of me
I've cheated so long I wonder
How you keep track of me

You could never be strong
You can only be free
And I never asked for the truth
But you owe that to me

I've entered the game of pricks
With knives in the back of me
Can't call you or on you no more
When they're attacking me

I'll climb up on the house
Weep to water the trees
And when you come calling me down
I'll put on my disease

You could never be strong
You can only be free
And I never asked for the truth
But you owe that to me
And I never asked for the truth
But you owe that to me
And I never asked for the truth
But you owe that to me