On hiatus for holiday

Headed to Boston in a few hours, then to New York for New Year's. I'll be back with more playlists soon. Happy holidays!

Listmania: Pitchfork's Top 50 Singles of 2004

This week the folks at Pitchfork Media posted their take on the top 50 singles of 2004. This playlist includes all of the songs on the list that are available in Rhapsody, 26 in all. Sadly, until Merge decides to offer its music beyond iTunes, there is no Arcade Fire in Rhapsody. Still a solid list, though -- enjoy!

(Thanks to my friend Anu for sending this list.)

Song of the day: The Bravery -- "No Brakes"

What, you ask, if Bono and Robert Smith had a torrid love affair that somehow produced a love-child who lived in Brooklyn, hung out with Longwave and listened to the Killers? Sound far-fetched? Possibly. Have I been drinking? Heavily. Will you like this song? Absolutely.

Many thanks to Coolfer for pointing out The Bravery's Unconditional EP. The title track rules, too.

Song of the day: Neil Young -- "Cowgirl in the Sand"

Tonight I was listening to a few Neil Young albums (Harvest, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, and After the Gold Rush) in Rhapsody on shuffle, and heard the studio take of "Cowgirl in the Sand" for the first time in a looooong time. And damn, is it good -- still holds up more than 30 years later. Click here to hear Neil Young & his guitar tearing it up in style.

The Complete Norman Granz Jam Sessions

Today's Sunday NYTimes includes a review of a new 5-disc box set compiling 1950s-era jam sessions organized by noted jazz producer (and Verve Records founder) Norman Granz and featuring an abundance of A-list musicians. The Times review notes that "...Granz, obsessed by the artistic and commercial promise of jam sessions, convened all-star bands and fistfuls of famous frontline players, including Charlie Parker, Ben Webster, Sweets Edison, Stan Getz, Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie." The results were more than 20 energetic and swinging recordings, compiled here for the first time.

If you're a a jazz fan you *could* drop $60 to buy this set and hear these performances. Or you could just click here. Whichever. ;)