Aussie Rockers

Aussie Rockers This list contains some of the best Australian Rock & Roll to cross the sea. AC/DC, Midnight Oil, The Go-Betweens, Hoodoo Gurus, Silverchair, INXS, Nick Cave, Little River Band, Powderfinger, John Butler Trio, Jebediah, The Living End and Grinspoon. (Via: Rhapsody Radish)

Song of the day: Cafe Tacuba/"Camino y Vereda"

Cafe Tacuba are a Mexican rock band whose musical style ranges from post-rock to mariachi and back again. I ran across their excellent album Cuatros Caminos in the summer of 2003, and it was an interesting listen. While I took Spanish for several years in high school and a few in college, I can't really follow conversation anymore, meaning that for me listening to Cafe Tacuba is more about enjoying the music and the emotional delivery of a song than the meaning of the words. This song is my favorite on the album. Check it out -- and happy Friday.

Song of the day, part deux: Matt Pond PA/"Fairlee"

I don't know much about Matt Pond PA. His name's Matt. He lives in Pennsylvania. He's put out a few albums, several of which are available through Rhapsody. And two years ago, I picked up one of those albums --The Nature of Maps-- and fell in love with his music. The album kicks off with one of my favorite Matt Pond PA songs, "Fairlee," which builds for two and a half minutes to a gorgeous, explosive end. This playlist includes that highly recommended song, along with some other personal favorites from the album. Enjoy.

Song of the day: Zwan/"Honestly"

I went through a big Smashing Pumpkins phase when I was in college, drawn in initially by the band's acid-drenched album Gish and then by their hit album Siamese Dream. I wasn't a big fan of their later stuff, however, and when the band broke up at the end of the 1990s after drug drama and interpersonal struggles, I didn't much care. Then, in 2003, Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan emerged with the band Zwan, featuring Slint/Tortoise guitarist David Pajo, Chavez guitarist Matt Sweeney, and Smashing drummer Jimmy Chamberlain. The album marked a return to straight up hook-laden guitar-rock, and while the album came and went with somewhat of a whimper and the band broke up within a year, I liked the album Mary Star of the Sea immenseley -- especially the songs "Honestly" and "Lyric." Enjoy.

Song of the day: The Concretes/"Say Something New"

I've been obsessed with this song since being turned onto it last week by Drake over at Thus Spake Drake. It sounds like some sha-la girl bands popped over for a late 1960s party with the Velvet Underground and decided to record a song. Click here to listen -- highly recommended. The rest of the album is great, too, but this is the standout song.

The Pretenders: an appreciation

I admit it: I've overlooked the Pretenders for too long. Sure, I loved the song "Back on the Chain Gang" back in the day, and I fell in love with Scarlett Johansen when she serenaded Bill Murray with "Brass in Pocket" in the movie Lost in Translation, but beyond that I hadn't really given the band a listen. I rectified the situation last weekend, giving their first 3 albums --The Pretenders, The Pretenders II, and Learning to Crawl-- a listen. This playlist includes my favorites from The Pretenders' early years -- listen to the jangling guitar on the first song, "Stop Your Sobbing" -- it's delicious. Enjoy the music.

Coachella 2005 -- lineup announced

The organizers of the annual Coachella Festival announced this year's lineup today, and it's a doozy. The 2-day festival has something for everyone, with Gang of Four, M83, Doves, Ambulance Ltd., Bloc Party, Bauhaus, New Order, Tegan and Sara, Autolux, The Bravery, Coldplay, The Chemical Brothers, Wilco, Rilo Kiley, Weezer, Spoon, Snow Patrol, and Cocteau Twins slated to play, among others.

My first inclination was to put together a playlist featuring music from the bands scheduled to perform. Being a lazy bastard at heart (ummm....I mean "efficient"), my *second* inclination was to see if anyone else had already done so.

Mission accomplished! With thanks to the the fine folk at Thus Spake Drake, here are a few Coachella samplers -- enjoy the music!

Coachella, Day One
Coachella, Day Two

Song of the Day: American Analog Set/"Hard to Find"

American Analog Set's 2003 album Promise of Love was one of my favorite finds of 2004. A good friend turned me onto the song "Hard to Find" around this time last year, and when the album was added to Rhapsody last summer I listened to over and over. American Analog Set's music is groovy, mellow rock that's laid waaaaay back. A great way to kick off the week.

Produced by Timbaland

Since 1997, the Virginia-based producer Timbaland has been behind the controls for a long string of hit hip hop and R&B singles, from Jay-Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" to Ludacris' "The Potion." This Rhapsody playlist includes 29 songs that Timbaland has produced for a variety of artists, including Beck, Snoop Dogg, The LOX, and Fabolous, among others. If you're spent any time dancing to hip hop in the past five years, it's a good bet you've danced to something on this list. Enjoy.

Song of the day: Simon & Garfunkel/"Hazy Shade of Winter"

I was at a party last night talking with someone about 80s music and more specifically the Bangles, and was reminded just how great the original Simon & Garfunkel take of "Hazy Shade of Winter" sounds, and how much of a departure the song is from earlier tunes like "Sounds of Silence" or "Homeward Bound." Click here to check out the song (taken from their 1968 album Bookends).