Stop Okay Go

A Friend On the Highway

It comes as no surprise that my mang Paul Carrack would like the work of Canadian singer Brendan Croskerry.   This song starts off like a typical Easy FM kind of track but listen closely and the lyrics get subtly Carrack-ian clever/thoughtful (at about 40 seconds in) and hold up, wha? political??

Enough with the beer,
I put on a kettle,
Enough with the war,
CNN is the devil,
Finding it hard
that the world's still dropping bombs
I wanna know what George W's trippin' on.

See, the "she " in the "She's Alright" refrain is actually the world. TRICKY!

Brendan Croskerry has toured Germany with Paul Carrack and his album Goodbye Harrier can be purchased here.

Shockin Y'All

Let's just go ahead and make it girl week: South Korea's Brown Eyed girls re-released their single Sign on October 29th. Miryo, the rapper (who kind of sounds like Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes used to), has broken off temporarily, to join her fellow labelmates Flying Girls. (Ha ha once again, no idea.)

Kidding aside, the song above is actually pretty good if you're in a pop mood..it's always interesting to listen to how other countries filter and interpret pop sounds and ultimately make them their own.

Angsty Robot Demeanor

One of my new favorites, Gentleman Reg does the old countdown thang for Spinner, including Cyndi Lauper's cover of Prince's When U Were Mine, above. It's admittedly got Cyndi's spin on it, but the guy harmonizing in the back sounds like Brad Garrett. The line I've always found funny about this song is "didn't have the decency to change the sheets" which sets off visions of Prince with a purple feather-duster and apron acting like Martha Stewart.

Cyndi Lauper: When You Were Mine.mp3

Plastic Police Car

Here's a lil playlist from the inbox. These airy and flirty songs all came together in a bunch and for some reason they sound like they could be part of a soundtrack from a foreign film: 

++Two offerings from the Buffetlibre boys, the first is off of Dragonette's new album Fixin' To Thrill and the second is by Denmark's beautifully produced Cartridge, who recently made their debut on BBC-TV.

Dragonette: Easy (Buffetlibre remix).mp3

Cartridge: The Woods (Buffetlibre).mp3

++Total Babe's song Bearbones would totally be in the part of the film where the girl is going on a shopping spree and trying on wacky outfits in variations of pink, quickly spliced together. The quartet will be releasing their Heatwave EP on December 4th at 7th Street in their hometown of Minneapolis:

Total Babe: Bearbones.mp3(Recommended)

Invisible Ties

I Did Not Know That: One time silvery Jew and bargain bookbuyer caught on film David Berman is the son of Washington lobbyist Richard Berman who just happens to be caught in Rachel Maddow's crosshairs these days. Apart from his work as a musician Berman the son is also a part-time poet who recently wrote this poem My Father, My Attack Dog to his Dad. Dude, family relationships can be complicated, especially in the media, just ask the Lohans or Soulja Boy and his sis.

See You Later

"Or should I be a lady, oh maybe, cuz I wanna have his babies."

++This Melanie Fiona video puts a new spin on the ol' woman done wrong lament. Drama! I wanna feel bad for this girl but seriously how bad can her personal predicament be when the hair is flawless? At least be sportin' some split ends, stray roots, a mustache, or something. Fiona's album, in which she samples The Zombies and Martha and the Vandellas, is getting much buzz.

++Entertainment Weekly suggests sneaking beverages (and if the commenters are to be believed, some Gas-X) into the Kenny Chesney 3D cinematic concert experience.

++Mr. Gnome video: Holy scary and trippy rabbits. Jeez people, just give them your Trix already.

The duo will be performing at the Silverlake Lounge on the 24th of this month. This song, from the new album Heave Yer Skeleton starts off delicately and intellectually, rocks hard in the middle and then calms down again. It was recorded at Josh Homme's Pink Duck Studios, so I imagine that they had to shred whenever he opened the door and checked in on them.

Mr. Gnome: Vampires.mp3 (Recommended!)

Quickies

 

The inbox calls....:

++Exciting news for us Olds: George "One Thin Dime" Benson will be making an appearance on Jimmy Fallon tonight backed by The Roots.  Now if they can just get Bill Withers out of hibernation. (There is a documentary coming out, though.)

++Who's up for some yodeling? Hawksley Workman's (pictured above) album For Him and The Girls is out November 17th and his sound is appealingly eclectic-laydeehoo.

Hawksley Workman: Maniacs.mp3

++Colin and Carson: That's just too cute.

++Bloody Right: The Bravery's new album Stir The Blood comes out December 1st and will fittingly be part of the Vampire Diaries soundtrack. Listen to the new single below and buy it here:

The Bravery: The Spectator.mp3

++Aw shoot. Idolator won't be the same.

Hey Mr. Deejay

World traveling DJ and master networker Paul Oakenfold (Dang, who *wasn't* at Studio 54? It's just like Woodstock. That place must have been the size of a colosseum) has been spending a lot of time at Palms in Las Vegas as of late. He's done a new song called Firefly with British "singing sensation" Matt Goss, who penned the main song for Fox's So You Think You Can Dance. (I'll have to take Google's word for it..) and founded the Pussycat Dolls. Goss can be seen performing Firefly below from his album Gossy, which is also the name of a room named for him in Vegas. He's a big deal but I'm just now hearing of Goss, and his penchant for turning his name into an adjective:

The Whole Truth

This fresh faced fellow is Will Stratton, friend of Sufjan, direct descendent of the Earl of Stratton. No just made that last part up. What is true is that Stratton's song below is one of the prettiest I've heard in recent memory. Luxurious is the word that comes to mind, like an old Beth Orton song. The Yolo County singer-songwriter took three years to finish his second album, No Wonder, while finishing a degree at Bennington College and acknowledges that you can't please everyone. Such wisdom at such a young age.

Will Stratton: Who Will.mp3