Musical Interludes

So what have I been listening to these past few weeks? Allow me to share:

Athlete – Tourist – Absolutely amazing! These pop rockers (think Coldplay) write interesting and cool music that doesn’t ring false at all. Most bands of this ilk (ie, a bit too emotional for their own good) can bury themselves in the doldrums of corny lyrics and thankfully these guys transcend their cliche`s. Highly recommended.

Cold – A Different Kind of Pain – A solid rock record, notable for its two best songs, “Happens all the time,” their first single, and the single best rock ballad of 2005, the title track. It gets a little monotonous after awhile, but I’m tellin ya you will be hearing “A Different Kind of Pain” all over your rock radio stations this fall. Seriously.

Death Cab for Cutie – Translanticism – We’re going old-school on this one, back to a now-defunct band of which I had no idea sounded this good. Indie/Emo rock at its finest, Death Cab features the lead singer of one of my favorite “bands” The Postal Service (it’s a one man band I think). These songs are sometimes long and meandering, but when they hit their crescendo you’ll realize its all worth it. The title track alone is priceless.

Foo Fighters – In Your Honor – Okay, here goes the ole Double Album Cliche: It would’ve been a better record as just 1 CD instead of two. This, if you weren’t aware, is what every single person on the planet says about pretty much every double disc release. I remember them saying the same thing about Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness as well, but that album (from start to finish) was fuckin brilliant (Well, okay, the James Iha stuff was crap). This, however, is not. Throw the second CD out, keep the first. It’s the good stuff. The rest…not so much.

Mike Doughty – Haughty Melodic – The ex-lead singer of Soul Coughing brings some great little melodies into your life, including the always-awesome “Busting Up A Starbucks” (Yeah!…I can’t help but exclaim that every time I say the title), and his most recent single “Looking at the World through the Bottom of a Well.” However, this disc packs a ton of great music, certainly not encompassed by the two songs I noted. “Unsingable Name” is just awesome. Oh, and “Tremendous Brunettes” is a duo with Dave Matthews. So there.

Rilo Kiley – Take-Offs and Landings – Again we go into the vault of the 90’s. I found this through a friend’s recommendation and I was not let down. Rilo features a really great lead singer who’s pristine and crystalized voice is just perfect for their delicate rock. Delicate rock, will you listen to me? I’m in metaphor hell here people. Just get this (or one of their more recent) records and enjoy.

Okay, that’s it. I’ve been taking in a little classic A Perfect Circle amongst listening to Aimee Mann and The Killers, but most of all I’ve been listening to the albums listed above. And that is time not wasted my friends. Not wasted at all.

Don’t wake me I plan on sleeping
Don’t wake me I plan on sleeping in