THE SECOND GLANCE: COVERS #2

Wow, it's been a while since I've done a proper covers post, huh? Been building up quite a nice collection here, so I'm hoping you'll like the ones I've set aside for this time around. Actually gonna give you some double shots, see how different people recreate the same song.

The Magic Numbers - Crazy in Love (covering Beyonce)
The Puppini Sisters - Crazy in Love (covering Beyonce)

This song has popped up everywhere, from the radio in its initial run back in 2003 to appearing on Dance Dance Revolution recently. It's also a pretty popular cover, and both of these take the original and do something interesting and great with it, showcasing the desperation behind Beyonce's fancy beats. The Puppini Sisters send the song back into the 1940's, keeping the fast pace but replacing the modern hiphop stylings with olden-days style background music, and harmonizing the song with three voices. Meanwhile, a recent discovery for me, The Magic Numbers' great take on the song, a more low-key indie style interpretation, deconstructing the song back to its core emotions. Far from the fast dance beats of the original, this version is a depressed male-vocal led song bemoaning the loss of a lover, despite making no lyrical changes or changing the actual mechanics of the song.

This Mortal Coil feat. Elizabeth Fraser - Song to the Siren (covering Tim Buckley)
The Czars - Song to the Siren (covering Tim Buckley)

This Mortal Coil's version has been a longtime favourite, first of my older sister Kara's and then my own. Elizabeth Fraser (of the Cocteau Twins) does an amazing job of the song, even if some of the words become a little blurred, its still completely beautiful. Little did I know, a band I recently discovered called The Czars released a covers album a couple years back that included a magnificent cover of the song as well. At an epic 7 minutes long, its a gorgeous pursuit and a real contender for the best cover version of the song.

Shannon Wright - Asleep (covering The Smiths)
Carissa's Wierd - Asleep (covering The Smiths)

I will admit I think The Smiths' "Asleep" may the the saddest song ever composed, barring none. I'm in love with it, and the intense emotions I associate with it, and I'm always intrigued by covers of it. Carissa's Wierd brings a real stripped-down, almost spoken sound to the song, with very simple instrumentation. This half-singing brings another style of sadness and desperation to the song. I find it hard, meanwhile, to properly describe Shannon Wright's version, which is also beautiful even as it sometimes comes off as a little overdramatic, a little too affected to draw out the emotions the original does. However, few songs can compare to the original "Asleep", and both of these are brave and relatively successful attempts to look at the song from a new angle.

Tricky - The Lovecats (covering The Cure)
OK Go - The Lovecats (covering The Cure)

Hearing rapper Tricky's take on the immortal song is interesting, as in his hands the song is dark, raspy and seductive. The song always had elements of sexual intrigue to it, but this takes the excitement of the original and turns it into an invitation into the darkness; Tricky's lovecats must be black cats, the avatars of a dark enchantress, drawing you away into the night. OK Go, meanwhile, are more faithful to the original but also have their own sound attached, adding a bit of crazed playfulness. The original "The Lovecats" is a rather creepy song when you get down to it, and both of these covers do that great justice.

Utada Hikaru - With or Without You (covering U2)
Scala & Kolacny Brothers - With or Without You (covering U2)

Japanese pop star Utada Hikaru takes on an old favourite, and does it very well here. Her voice is low, with the emotions clear in it; the desperation, the sadness and even the anger are evident in her rendition. The simple piano works great before more music kicks in properly. Her voice is magnificent here, taking the heights impressively. Meanwhile, a potentially even more beautiful version comes from our favourite chior Scala & Kolacny Brothers, whose version of the song is breathtaking, truly. If you've been following this blog I'm hoping you've picked up a song or two of theirs in the past, and I'd say this is one of their best.

And, as a bonus, the lonely but awesome...

Sia - Gimme More (covering Britney Spears)

Now, this doesn't have a partner, but it stands pretty well on its own. It takes Britney Spears' expensively produced and sexy song and turns it into a stripped-down piano-and-vocals performance that reeks of sadness, sleaze and sex. Sia's protagonist is a sad creature, an exhibitionist trapped in her own need for attention and sex but not, in and of herself, sexy. It's sad and yet, Sia's vocals are still wonderful and draw you into the song. Then, you begin to hear that same person in the original, trying her best to be sexy and yet coming off as desperate and self-deluded.

TOP 100 SONGS OF 2007: 11-20

Almost 2 months late, but we're finally getting to the gold at the end of the rainbow. This is where you'll begin finding the songs I expect to be listening to for years to come. This is were repetition starts to come in, as the truly exceptional albums all have 5-6 songs that deserve charting high. You'll see The pierces, Dragonette and Arcade Fire duplicate within this entry alone! But let that not sway you, as they are all utterly soulbreaking songs.

20. The Pierces - Sticks & Stones (Sendspace)
Album: Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge

An eery, creepy and greatly fun song as the girls take on the guise of witches as they tease a fearful, and have much too much fun doing it. Whether they're actual witches or just pretending to be for the sake of a prank, it's still excellent. The girls' unique harmony works especially well here, giving it a bizarre mystic feel.

19. Patrick Park - Pawn Song (Sendspace)
Album: Everyone's In Everyone

A rousing anti-war song, Park shows his cool rage and disappointment toward anyone 'thinking there's peace at the end of a gun'. He looks on soldiers and revolutionaries both as pawns in the war between leaders to scared to do anything themselves. Park's voice here is tight, pain-filled but determined to make a change, much like his song.

18. Beirut - Cliquot (Sendspace)
Album: The Flying Club Cup

While Beirut is often beautiful, finding connections with their music is often hit or miss for me. However, "Cliquot" is one of the best exceptions I could find, wrapping itself in my soul and tugging it high into the sky. The vocals are stricken, with the rhythms behind it recalling a time long, long ago as it tells the story of a dying man and his love living on without him. Truly epic and gorgeous.

17. Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running (Sendspace)
Album: Neon Bible

This song can be summed up in one word: exciting. Everything within me seems to race forward listening to it, and I'm grinning the entire way. It's just a song that makes you happy, even if the lyrics don't hint to much joy in the situation. Produced differently, this song could've been far too heavy, but the tack Arcade Fire have taken with it here makes it one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album.

16. Dragonette - True Believer (Sendspace)
Album: Galore

Of all the songs on Dragonette's shamelessly sexy album, this might be the most interesting, coming from the typical Dragonette protagonist with a twist - she's been 'saved', though with love instead of religion. A former bad girl with a string of one-time beaus, she's almost ashamed to be involved in an actual relationship, and you can see that she's loving it despite feeling as if she's losing something in the deal. In a quieter part, she even admits insecurity, wondering if she's just "the new girl curled round your finger", then soon after yells, "It's you who's done this thing to me; I used to be so bad!". There's a lot of complexity here, much more than the typical Dragonette song, and I love it.

15. The Pierces - Secret (Sendspace)
Album: Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge

The most overtly-threatening song of the bunch, this is a song about the dangers of entrusting your deepest secrets to anyone else, throwing out the tagline, "Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead". The two have made a darkly beautiful song, and when the spoken dialogue comes in the middle, it seems like a natural part in the song that leads into its climax perfectly.

14. Scala & Kolacny Brothers - The Beautiful People (Marilyn Manson cover) (Sendspace)
Album: One-Winged Angel

I'm definitely no fan of Marylin Manson. While I recognise the skill with which he constructs his songs, his style is my antithesis. That said, taking the angelic vocals of Scala and applying them to this vicious attack on capitalism is a brilliant move, as they bring a new dimension to the song with the choral, female tone. It sends shivers down your spine, to hear this coming from a group such as Scala.

13. Arcade Fire - Intervention (Sendspace)
Album: Neon Bible

A truly epic song, showcasing church-style organs to skyrocket the song into the stratosphere while vocalist Win Butler tells a story of poverty and family in his distinctive way. It's soaring, pulling you in and dragging you up and throwing you into a free fall toward the sky. The pain and desperation in Butler's voice is compelling, and this is a song that practically hurts to listen to. And yet, every time, I feel the need to charge the volume so high I'll be deaf by 25. Best lyrics: "Singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart."

12. Dragonette – The Boys (Calvin Harris cover) (Sendspace)
Album: Single

A new take on Calvin Harris' 'The Girls', this song reverses the gender role and, even better, rearranges some parts. For example, the segue from the first part to the second always amuses me. This is the perfect song for Dragonette to take on, actually, as is follows the themes of joyful promiscuity from Galore while also being a fun counterpoint to Harris' version.

11. Spoon - The Underdog (Sendspace)
Album: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

If exciting summed up 'Keep the Car Running', then 'fun' sums up this one. I love the message not to underestimate the underdog, because they always do spoil your plans. This tearing down of the self-superior and stuck up is great for the everyman who has to live in this world, getting stepped on in turn by all those above him. A song that will not be forgotten. "You've got no fear of the underdog; that's why you will not survive." Hell yeah.

If you enjoy these songs, I really think you should check out their albums! If a song's up this high, the album they're on is probably pretty damn exceptional.

TOP 100 SONGS OF 2007: 41-50

We've now made it into the Top 50! Excellent! You guys are in for a treat. Sorry for the long wait; my headphones broke and I had to procure a new pair. Fear not, that has been done and I can now listen to music unbothered by a missing half of the song. Now, here we go...

50. Scala & Kolacny Brothers – Fake Plastic Trees (Radiohead cover) (Sendspace link)
Album: One-Winged Angel

I've heard a number of covers - Alanis, KT Tunstall - and this one is the best. The choir sound works perfectly with the quiet piano backing for a song that's as enigmatic lyrically as any other. Scala's mix of voice tones shows a great improvement here over their earlier albums, and there's real soul to it. And when they reach a climax, it's heavenly.

49. Dragonette - I Get Around (Sendspace link)
Album: Galore

A great beat mixed with Dragonette's lyrics that follow their sexual themes. This time, it's a clandestine relationship between two people who run in similar circles. It's weird how Drqagonette can make what seems like a sleazy moment seem so fun, but I have a feeling it has a lot to do with Martina Sorbara's vocals and the heavy synths

48. Calexico - Ocean of Noise (Arcade Fire cover) (Sendspace link)
Album: Arcade Fire - Intervention (single)

The rare cover that is far superior to the original, Calexico is perfectly suited to this song. What was a bit of a dull spot on Neon Bible becomes a soul-tunning love song, with Joey Burns bringing great emotion to the song where the original vocals fell flat emotionally. The sadness, the desperation here is great. Probably my cover of 2007 too, had I made that list and kept track of my covers.

47. Eisley - Invasion (Sendspace link)
Album: Combinations

The gem in Combinations' crown, this is a joy to listen to. The creepy feeling obtained without the common quiet style is refreshing, and the chorus is wonderful. "You, you, you would take the breath from my throat and you, you you would take the cherished people that I love." That bit is sung marvellously, with fear and desperation mixed in with accusation. The rest of the lyrics are great as well, mixing calm with horror.

46. Feist - 1 2 3 4 (Sendspace link)
Album: The Reminder

There is a reason Apple picked this song for its commercial and, thus, caused it to be simultaneously everywhere at all times. It's a really good song. Leslie Feist's voice is on top form here, with some nice lyrics and horns and is just a really nice song. You probably already know.

45. Jason Mraz - The Beauty in Ugly (Sendspace link)
Album: Single

Reworked from one of Mraz's unreleased songs to be a theme for Ugly Betty's "Be Ugly" campaign, this song illustrates the themes of that series perfectly, refusing to allow physical beauty to be the only measure of worth in this thin-led world. The chorus is inspiring, ordering those downtrodden by imperfect looks to 'own [their] name and stand up tall'.

44. Alanis Morissette - My Humps (Fergie cover) (Sendspace link)
Album: Internet Release

There are very few, if any, moments funnier in 2007 than Alanis Morissette's cover and accompanying video of Fergie's ridiculous song, "My Humps". Taking a hyped-up hiphop song about bling and boobs and turning it into a piano-led ballad it highlighted exactly how ridiculous the song is, while Alanis takes a moment to laugh a little at herself and her maudlin image as well. The video is especially hilarious, featuring Alanis' take on Fergie's original.

43. The Sunshine Underground - Commercial Breakdown (Sendspace link)
Album: Raise the Alarm

A great rocking song about, what else, the overcommercialisation of the modern age, and the frustrations inherent in trying to survive with a soul. A moment, where "I used to think that these things happen for a reason" just perfectly illustrates the confusion and hopelessness of it.

42. The Gossip - Careless Whisper (Wham! cover) (Sendspace link)
Album: Radio 1 Established 1967 (Covers compilation)

This song is just a vehicle for amazing covers. First Ben Foldss & Rufus Wainwright's soulful duet of it I found, and now Gossip lead singer Beth Ditto utterly owns it in a powerful cover recorded for the Radio 1 tribute album released this year. The music has a real dance feel to it, and the emotion in Ditto's voice makes the song work really well, bringing in regret and sadness while never losing its power.

41. Camera Obscura - Hands Up Baby (Sendspace link)
Album: If Looks Could Kill EP

A simple, understated b-side to If Looks Could Kill (EP), this song is about a couple of truly broken people. A duet, from the point of view of a man with a gun and his kidnapped ex with an acid tongue. Lines like, "you don't remember things I can't forget" say more than whole stanzas of other songs. Neither of these people are happy, and both wouldn't be sad to just let it end and the darkness here is pretty powerful. A wonderful song.

We've started into the bigger deals here, and I'm very happy to be sharing these with you guys. And remember, if you enjoy these songs, I urge you to check out their artists!

TOP 100 SONGS 0F 2007: 81-90

So, last time around, I gave ya some Jon, some Bird, some Bjork, some Sophie and some identical twins. Trust me yet? If not, keep going, as you've only scratched the bottom of the pile. So, here goes...

90. Brandi Carlile - The Story (Rapidshare link)
Album: The story

Used recently to promote Grey's Anatomy, this was one of the songs that convinced me I'd fall in love with Carlile. That never came to pass, but this is still a beautiful song about companionship. She really does have an amazing voice.

89. Sondre Lerche - Say It All (Rapidshare link)
Album: Phantom Punch

It's hard to describe this song. I like the lyrics, of the perils of trying to 'say it all' and just digging yourself a bigger grave, and the music is generally quite good (though sometimes, in the wrong mood it's pretty annoying). The teasing tone Lerche does at points is often quite amusing, though.

88. Of Montreal - A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger (Rapidshare link)
Album: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

A bizarrely bouncy tune set to the story of feeling imprisoned by one's environment, in this case Norway. "I spent the winter with my nose in a book, trying to restructure my character, because it had become vile to its creator." The lyricism here is utterly brilliant, simultaneously detailing a breakdown and making you bounce along with it.

87. The Bird and the Bee - Polite Dance Song (Rapidshare link)
Album: Would You Please Clap Your Hands?

I originally had another Bird and Bee song here, but another of these such lists turned me onto 'Polite Dance Song', which is hilarious fun. Inara George's debut CD irked me in style, but as the Bird in this pairing she's utterly brilliant, and rarely better shown that here. When 'would you please' and 'apologies' mesh together in the background, the two go together very well, giving a really nice sound.

86. Bowerbirds – My Oldest Memory (Rapidshare link)
Album: Hymns of a Dark Horse

Bowerbirds is a rather obscure band at the moment, though I believe the internet is slowly giving them some press. I'm happy to add myself to that group here, as 'My Oldest Memory' is quite a nice song. It's quiet, vocal-based with a quiet strumming behind-the-scenes and a chorus with a choral sound. It's unassumingly good.

85. Rufus Wainwright – Tulsa (Rapidshare link)
Album: Release the Stars

Reportedly written about a sexual encounter between Wainwright and The Killers' lead singer Brandon Flowers, this song is nice reminiscence even without that. This song is all about the little things, the buildup to the morning described in the early lines. It's hinting, almost mocking while at the same time appreciative. And if it is just bragging about landing one of music's well-known 'indie'-singers, well, for some reason that just makes it even funnier.

84. Gwenno - U & I (Rapidshare link)
Album: U & I EP
"You and I have been running around like headless chickens, and I've had just about enough of it." This excellent song from one of the Pipettes, a pretty singer names Gwenno, is the highlight of what I've heard from her, which has been largely quite good. Not following the 'from another era' feel of her bandmates, she's made a sweet, poppy song here with clear vocals that just rolls from beat to beat.

83. A Fine Frenzy - Let It Snow (Rapidshare link)
Album: Myspace released

I'm not a Christmas music person, as noted earlier on in this list, but two songs blew me away this year and will probably be listened to even as the snow melts away and the presents are all forgotten. The second of these is Alison Sudol's beautiful 'Let it Snow', taking a song I've never particularly loved and making it a beautiful experience.

82. Measured in Angles - The Diderot Effect (Rapidshare link)
Album: History of the Engine

Now, this is odd. An instrumental, very mechanical song that comes in at under two minutes isn't exactly a peer among the rest on this list musically, but I have to say I somehow found the style of Measured in Angles, an instrumental band from both sides of the Canada/US border, mysteriously enchanting. This band, apparent;y while using traditional rock instruments, perfectly recreate a mechanical sound. This band is much better than I'd have expected it to be before listening.

81. Scala & Kolacny Brothers - The Blower’s Daughter (Damien Rice cover) (Rapidshare link)
Album: One-Winged Angel

The original is beautiful. How does one enhance such a song, while abandoning Damien Rice's painful vocals? Scala does the job nicely, taking their generally gorgeous choral style and working it particularly well here. Shivers go up and down your spine as they rise to the climax and slowly bring it down for a denouement.

So, there it is, part two of a rather insane undertaking. Once this list is done, you may never need another song again! However, if you do, I urge you to check them out elsewhere!

FEATURE: TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2007

As the new year begins, I figure it's the best time to reflect on last year's best of the crop. I know undoubtedly this list is not perfect even in my opinion; there are a number of albums I have yet to break in properly, one of which I know almost for certain would land a Top 10 spot. That said, after weeks of preparing for this list, while watching others add theirs to the pile in December, here it is (tentatively): My top 10 albums of 2007.

Number 10: A Fine Frenzy's "One Cell in the Sea"


Sample Track: "Almost Lover" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Indigo/Chapters

A stunning debut album from gorgeous singer Alison Sudol, whose voice immediately captured me in "Rangers". After hearing it, I needed her album in a way I've needed few before it, and hers was one of the albums I anticipated most this year. While not every song is to the same quality, the music is still beautiful. "The Minnow and the Trout", though it feels oddly like the theme of a Disney movie, hits me in all the right places; and "Almost Lover", the sample track, is one of the most beautiful songs of the year.

Number 9: Tegan and Sara's "The Con"


Sample Track: "Soil, Soil" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Insound, Indigo/Chapters

This album, from one of my favourite Canadian artists, was indeed a grower as many declared it. Sitting for a long time at #17 on my list, only in recent weeks has it started to grow on me. It's full of good songs - "Soil, Soil", "Floorplan", "I Was Married" - and has one genuine hit in "Back in Your Head", which was the subject of my last Track Showcase. The thing that landed this album the list, however, is that every track is pretty damn listenable, even when you don't want to bother listening to the lyrics.

Number 8: Scala & Kolacny Brothers's "One-Winged Angel"


Sample Track: "The Beautiful People" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca

This Belgian girl's choir, whose gorgeous contemporary covers I've loved since first hearing them, released an album that included this shockingly impressive cover of Marylin Manson's "The Beautiful People". I'm not a fan of Manson (his style is my antithesis), but I enjoy this cover very much, and it gave me a chance to enjoy some of his incisive lyrics. This album also includes covers of Damien Rice, KT Tunstall and Radiohead, all worth checking out.

Number 7: Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible"


Sample Track: "Intervention" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Insound, Indigo/Chapters

An indie darling from the moment of its release, Arcade Fire has been sadly one of my neglected albums. Again, this is only one that rocketed into the top 10 once I started paying any amount of attention to it. "Intervention", the sample track, is just plain epic. "Keep the Car Running", "No Cars Go", "My Body is a Cage", all excellent tracks that make this even better than their debut.

Number 6: Andrew Bird's "Armchair Apocrypha"


Sample Track: "Imitosis" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Insound, Indigo/Chapters

My favourite artist, whose music has become a regular feature on my iPod. Though not nearly as amazing as "The Mysterious Production of Eggs" (which would have grabbed top spot), this album is a worthy successor, with "Heretics", quite possibly one of Andrew Bird's best songs (and definitely the most catchy). As I've shared "Heretics" before, I've included "Imitosis", a darker, gorgeous song I've only recently started listening to thanks to the brilliant remix I've previously posted. While I'd suggest "Eggs" before this any day, I urge you to get this album anyway. It's worthy of being an Andrew Bird album, and I can give no higher praise. Well, except maybe a spot on this list higher than 6, but it's still excellent.

Number 5: Remi Nicole's "My Conscience and I"


Sample Track: "Go Mr. Sunshine" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon

Another great debut following Alison Sudol's, Remi Nicole is very much following in the footsteps of Lily Allen, coming on as maybe her less-bitchy, just-as-funny sister. Tht's not a bad position to be in at all, as 'Conscience' is an excellent album full of songs with intelligent lyrics and generally good music to go with it. "Go Mr. Sunshine" is a great tribute to summer, one that allows for negative aspects that only make it, and the song, more charming; "Dates From Hell" is a shot at those men, probably some of the same assholes encountered by Ms. Allen on her album last year; "Rock'n Roll" is a great look as Nicole herself, while taking a dig at the stereotype of 'black artist = r'n'b or hip hop'. Pretty much every song here is a fun listen.

Number 4: White Rabbits' "Fort Nightly"


Sample Track: "While We Go Dancing" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Insound

These guys know how to make a beat. Every song on this album, from best to not-so-best, can at least get me bopping a little in my chair. The sample track, "While We Go Dancing", showcases this: It's got a great beat, without being overtly poppy or cheery. Much of the album follows this vibe, making for a great 41 minutes of listening. Also check out "Navy Wives", probably my favourite 'Rabbits' track.


Number 3: Patrick Park's "Everyone's in Everyone"


Sample Track: "Saint With a Fever" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca

After discovering Park via The O.C., as many of his listeners must have, I decided to seek out his albums. I found this, his newest album and an accomplishment indeed, holding a scattering of excellent tracks. I've previously shared "Life is a Song" (which most of you probably already had anyway) and "Pawn Song", so the sample is "Sant With a Fever", an interesting song that showcases Park's interesting songwriting.

Number 2: Dragonette's "Galore"


Sample Track: "Competition" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Indigo/Chapters

Eleven songs, all but one are amazingly catchy. The one thing I can say about Dragonette that, despite the sexual subjects of most of their songs, they aren't a band about sex. Well, they are, that's undoubtable - what other band would dare to have songs from the POVs of a prostitute, a mistress and a student seducing a teacher on the same album? - but the true meaning is joy. Joy of life, joy of sex, just utter joy, something no watered-down Britney or Christina will ever properly capture. Every song, despite my normal distaste for 'slutty music', makes me bring, and that's because you can just feel the fun that lead singer Martina's Sorbara's having. This isn't a serious album, and that's exactly why it's endearing.

Number 1: The Pierces' "Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge"


Sample Track: "Secret" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Insound

Thirteen tales from these delightfully devilish sisters, whose harmonizing voices and clever lyrics have captured my heart forever. Their music is haunting, with witchy ("Sticks & Stones"), teasing ("Boy in a Rock and Roll Band"), insanely rich ("boring") and vengeful ("Ruin") protagonists showcased in each and every song. Their dreamiest song, a rumination on the concept of "Three Wishes", is possibly their best. However, one of the stars of their album is "Secret", a song about the dangers of trusting your secrets with anyone, finally hammering it home that, "Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead".

THE ALDEN'S AWESOME PLAYLIST 1

Hey! I kind of disappeared off the face of the earth this past week, mostly due to the crushing blow of Real Life, which made music-blogging feel very alien indeed. That said, I'm re-invigorated about introducing you guys to the music love and have another way of introducing it to you.

Similar to the roulette, the Awesome Playlist is a collection of songs, but instead of being random they're the ones that, for some reason or other, I've been listening to a lot lately. I don't know why, but on different weeks different songs just seem to 'click' with me, and for the time being these are those songs.

The Grand Archives - Sleepdriving (Sendspace link)
This group, headlined by former guitarist and vocalist for Carissa's Wierd and former guitarist for Band of Horses Matt Brooke, is pretty damn new. The only available songs are three demos they've recently released while they work on their debut. That said, the demos are excellent, and 'Sleepdriving' is the best of the trilogy. It's the kind of music that might play in the background of a dream, a melancholy, ethereal piece of music that I just love. Download this, as I expect these Archives will be one I raid from muchly in the future.

Andrew Bird - Why? (live) (Sendspace link)
You guys should know my intense love of all things Andrew Bird, if only because I've peppered his music through this blog. The only reason I haven't posted a showcase is that I'd need quite a bit of preparation to do him justice. Anyway, this song was originally released by his band, Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire, but their style sadly irritate me to no end. He later included a solo performance of the song on Fingerlings, the first of his live-only albums. The song itself is a typical Andrew Bird song in its atypical tone and focus: A man who is angered by his partner by his refusing to be riled up and fight, with the chorus including the line: "Damn you for being so easy-going." The idea of a relationship where conflict is promoted is an intriguing one, and it reminds that the real opposite of love isn't hate but indifference.

Scala & Kolacny Brothers - Heartbeats (The Knife) (Sendspace link)
Another group begging for a showcase, here's a taste of Scala, the intriguing Belgian youth girls' choir whose repertoire consists mainly of recognisable North American songs, and their conductors the Kolacny brothers. I've never heard the original song, but that doesn't matter much as Scala's version is a beautiful, piano-driven masterpiece. The choral treatment doesn't render it inaccessible; indeed, it makes it more universal, strangely enough.

Sufjan Stevens - Romulus (Sendspace link)
Sufjan seems to be the indie king, grabbing accolades and praise everywhere for his deep and heavily-researched albums, two of which are themed around American states. Romulus is from one of these albums (Michigan), and derives its title not from the mythical founder of Rome but from a Michigan city, where the song's protagonist lives. It's a story of shame, about an absent mother who buggers off to make a new family, leaving her other children in care of their grandfather. One of these children, the song's narrator, talks about their contempt of her, and how they would love to just avoid seeing her ever again. It's an interesting tale, one I'm curious whether there are real-life connections for Stevens or not. It seems intensely real.

And the one I cannot find to upload for the life of me, so you'll have to search it out for yourselves...

Brandston - Earthquakes and Sharks
Formed way back in 1996, Brandston seem to be a different creature than the Grand Archives. Seem, I'd say, because I only have this one song of theirs, and it rocks. A song with a fantastic beat that just dares you to not bounce around to it, it tells the story of a guy who slowly learns that Mexico and California are not the safest places for the uninitiated. The chorus is an amusing listing off of the dangers, while the rest of the song is his specific experiences with a number of these things.

BUY: Amazon, Amazon Canada, InSound

Those are the songs that have been on pretty heavy rotation on my iPod lately. Not 100 listens, but they're much dearer to my heart now than they once were. Enjoy!