Playlist: January 2009

The long delayed "what did I find" list for January 2009. Enjoy. Not all the songs are necessarily brand new; most of it is stuff I missed in 2008. But such is January.

Matt & Kim - Daylight
A spastic dance-beat-heavy song with some just-short-of-annoying vocals, but the great piano line and song structure makes up for all it's sins. It's just a ton of fun to listen to.

The Felice Brothers - Frankie's Gun
My favorite song of the month: a backwoods folk-rock song with a great pop chorus. Reminds me of Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show and the more campfire-y Band songs. It will have you singing along in no time. And the lead singer sounds like a Muppet, so it's even better when you envision these guys playing it.

Delta Spirit - Trashcan
There is something about percussive rhythm piano that I cant get enough of. This song is driven by a great piano line, and has such a simple pop hook, that you feel like you've heard it before. These guys put out a solid album in 2008 called "Ode to Sunshine" and this is the crown single. It's SoCal rock with the right amount of grittiness to make it authentic.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
By and far the oddest song I've pumped into my iTunes in a long while. The story of a modern day Lazarus (or Larry as he's known here) raised from the dead against his will. Art-rock flair in a hilarious story.

Aimee Mann - Freeway
Aimee is feel-good music with a witty edge; so don't be fooled by the groove. She's got one of those unique songwriting POVs and voices that has given her a rabid fanbase and longevity.

Elvis Costello - No Hiding Place
I've been watching a lot of Elvis' show "Spectacle" on the Sundance Channel. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of music, which I dig. But aside from that, he put out a new album last year, and this is the best track from it. A nice uptempo rocker with those classic EC lyrics and nasal howl.

What Made Milwaukee Famous - Sultan
This song gets dangerously close to becoming a pop-punk cliche, but manages to stay on the right side of the road. It's driving music for sure, and the vocalist keeps the car in rock territory. I wish the fake horn part (I think it's just an organ) were real though.

Bon Iver - Skinny Love
I missed this in 2008. It's depressingly honest folk rock, but despite the anger there is something positive in his voice. You might not immediately take to it, but you will catch yourself wanting to hear it again. It's like discovering a new alcoholic drink that's not great at first, but keeps you coming back until you do like it.

The Whigs - Right Hand On My Heart
I featured this already: a melodic, heavy-tempoed, epic rocker. Reminds me of a mix of 70's arena rock (as epitomised so well by the fictional Stillwater from Almost Famous) and good 90's alt rock.

Phantom Planet - Raise The Dead
I think I have to give these guys another try (I just felt so burned after Rooney...), because this is the second tune to completely surprise me off their latest album. This song is a perfect companion to their other single, "Do The Panic." It's more ballad-y, but remains upbeat and just as fun.

The Honey Brothers - Demonstration
Silly pop rock, decidedly middle of the road, but they managed to fit the word "defenestration" into the first verse, so they get points for that.