Music for the masses

It’s yet another glorious, God-given MP3 Friday and that means two things: One, I’m passing off others’ knowledge as my own. And two: I will be making broad generalizations of things I knew very little about. (Of course, I guess you could say that every day is an MP3 Friday).

As usual, there are three things to remember:

1. If you get your panties in a bunch over me linking to these mp3’s AND you are the artist and wish me to stop, then by all means, I will.

2. Mother Nature having not blessed my wallet like she did my beer gut, I have not had a chance to listen to most of these albums, only the song. And so I vouch only for it and not the album.

3. And, finally, as these are only links to sites beyond my control, you best get while the gettin’s good.

Well, that’s about it. Enjoy.

BISHOP ALLEN
Clementines
The Monitor
Here’s a case where I CAN vouch for the band. And when I say “vouch”, I mean that if they issued a press release that read “The world is flat and run by the four richest Jews in America,” I would pause, looking for even a hint of a silver lining, and then say, “Well … hear ‘em out first: Maybe they’re going somewhere with this.”

TAP TAP
Way to Go, Boy
I wanted to link to a different song by this group because it had handclaps and I’m a sucker for a good song with handclaps (frankly, they’re the new cowbell). But, this song edged out the competition by deign of its catchiness. But don’t worry, Timmy: There’ll be more handclaps one day.

CALEXICO
Alone Again, Or
Embrace your inner Arizonan with this band’s cover of the classic Love track (recorded live at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival).

BEACH HOUSE
Apple Orchard
Do you do drugs? Do you like to wake up, Sunday morning-ish, after a night of doing drugs and then do just about anything you please with your day -- so long as “anything” can be done in boxers and a bathrobe (and to the tune of sizzling bacon)? Well, then you’ll like Beach House.

LOW
Long, Long, Long
Covers of Beatles songs generally go one of two ways: either straight down the shitter or right up the pooper. Rare is the case where a band takes a classic, gently bends the song to its requirements, and produces a winner.

RATATAT
Kennedy
Lex
That caged look you now seem to have is most likely due to the two words that best define this duo's work: “instrumentals” and “electronica”. But before you get scared and pee all over everything, let me say that these two gents have found a way to write and record electronica instrumentals on rock’s terms, the same way the Beastie Boys did with rap. And you like the Beasties, don’tcha?

JOHNNY AND THE MOON
The Ballad of Scarlet Town
And, lastly, a song for anyone who like their bands from Canada and their shine from Appalachia. (Oh, and completely off point, have you ever had someone tell you, “Oh, he or she’s from Appalachia” and think, “Well thank you for narrowing it down to one of 13 fucking states.” No? Huh, well, I guess it’s just me.)

Today’s lesson: Thanks, once again, to all of the wonderful music bloggers out there who DO know what they’re talking about:

• aquarium drunkard
• gorilla vs. bear
• false 45th
• red blondehead
• torture garden
• you ain’t no picasso
• the hype machine

Take care and have a good weekend.