The Billie Burke Estate’s second full-length, “Let Your Heart Break,” is a curious collection of charming pop tunes. There’s nothing offensive or edgy here–much like ‘70s AM radio (think: Elton John or Randy Newman), the focus is on piano-based hooks and toe-tapping, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. “Everybody’s Gonna Die,” despite it’s heavy [...]

1. Picture in a Frame-Pearl Jam. 2. I Don’t Wanna Grow Up-Cold War Kids. An illogical tune: Great song + Great band = Not so great cover. But cool for the curious or completist. For a great cover of this song, check out The Ramones version. Or . . . 3. I Don’t Wanna Grow [...]

Actually, it’s one reason and five supporting arguments: Because you get to cultivate relationships with talented artists and labels who share music with you that you otherwise wouldn’t hear! 1. Finian McKean. I interviewed Finian McKean on my old site, before the RIAA threatened to separate me from my family for posting a song from [...]

I can’t say more than the dozens of bloggers I’ve seen put this album in their top 10 or 20, except that more of them should have put it at number 1. Fun, choppy, funky, and bouncy, it’s an album that never stops giving. Here’s some stuff they released this year, including bonus cuts off [...]

An excuse to post or repost some of my favorite covers of the year . . . 10. Guilt By Association (link). A wonderful collection of covers by indie bands. What sets this collection apart from all the other covers projects this year is a truly eclectic (but not eclectic for its own sake) selection [...]

20. The Arctic Monkeys-Favourite Worst Nightmare. 28. Hard Fi-Once Upon a Time in the West Is there a better modern postpunk pop album than Hard Fi’s “Stars of CCTV?” Maybe not. Although the band’s follow-up isn’t quite as good (it smacks a little too much of money and production), it’s nevertheless a great, fun release. [...]

“The Devil’s in my bed, and now he’s beggin’ me to spread my legs . . .” Knowing that this is the opening couplet of the new Standfast record, “Beneath and Beyond,” you would be forgiven for thinking it was hardcore or metal. But it isn’t. This duo occupy a space somewhere between the breathy [...]

St8 outta B’klyn (or at least Columbia University), Vampire Weekend are getting tons of blog love these days, mostly based on their Blue CD-R demo. We weren’t one of the gifted few who actually received a copy of the CD from VW’s powers-that-be . . . Here on this humble streetcorner, we don’t get much [...]

Everybody’s talking about Radiohead these days. Radiohead Radiohead Radiohead. But there was an artist who went online first–who refused to be a SLAVE to the major labels, took his act on the net, and even gave away his CD at shows. Yeah, that was the artist known as Prince who was formerly known as the [...]

I got the idea for this post from Speed of Dark. A great blog. 1. Just What I Needed-Bush. 2. Just What I Needed-Weeping Tile. 3. It’s All I Can Do-The Bravery 4. Bye Bye Love-Alkaline Trio 5. Just What I Needed-Damone 6. Just What I Needed-Scout Niblett 7.-10. Can be found at Speed of [...]