Song of the day: Sonic Youth/"Tuff Gnarl"

While I'm a fan of noisy rock (in the vein of Built to Spill), until recently I hadn't listened much to the music of pioneering NYC band Sonic Youth. Rhapsody has more or less their entire back catalogue available, so sampling Sonic Youth's music has been easy (and fun).


My friend Hill suggested I start with their 1987 album Sister, which I did, and it's great. I now understand why seemingly every band name-checks Sonic Youth as an influence on their work. My favorite song on the album is "Tuff Gnarl," a slice of rock whose angry guitars and obscured vocals has been killing me all week. Happy Friday -- and enjoy the music.

Song of the day: Inspiral Carpets/"Saturn 5"

One of the new additions to the Rhapsody library today is The Singles, a compilations of, er....singles released by the UK group Inspiral Carpets. Inspiral Carpets were one of the most influential bands to emerge from the late 1980s/early 1990s "Madchester" scene, which also gave rise to groups like The Stone Roses, Charlatans, and the Happy Mondays. The compilation includes a bunch of recommended songs, including "She Comes in the Fall" and the 1960s-influenced "Saturn 5" (listen to that organ!).

Song of the day: Cinerama/"Your Charms"

I've been meaning to post for a while about David Gedge's post-Wedding Present band, Cinerama, which has been churning out singles and albums in earnest since 1998. With Cinerama, Gedge largely ditched the frenetic guitar sound of the Wedding Present and focused instead on creating atmospheric chamber pop.


Over the past few weeks, a number of Cinerama releases from Manifesto Records have been added to Rhapsody, including Disco Volante, the live John Peel Sessions, and the singles comp Cinerama Holiday (from which the song "Your Charms" is taken). The band's worth a listen, especially if you're a fan of Gedge or the Wedding Present. Enjoy.

Song of the day: Shout Out Louds/"Shut Your Eyes"

The Shout Out Louds album Howl Howl Gaff Gaff has been my guilty pleasure of the week. The Swedish group delivers some catchy indiepop on the album, the best of which (in my opinion) is the song "Shut Your Eyes" -- check out the dueling guitars 1:50 into the song. Ummmmmm........yum.

Song of the day: The Spinto Band/"Oh Mandy"

A few weeks ago, a friend and co-worker who sits next to me gave me a promo copy of Nice and Nicely Done, the debut album from The Spinto Band, and demanded I give it a listen. I'm really glad he did -- the songs have been stuck in my head ever since, especially "Crack the Whip" and the utterly infectious "Oh Mandy" -- currently my favorite song. Give it a listen today --trust me-- and it will make your Monday a little more enjoyable.