Kick back with Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks"

If you're into indie rock and motown doo wop (I know you're out there), check out Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" from their album Veckatimest. The piano and synthesizer sound like they're straight out of a Jay-Z hit, and the vocals sound like they're straight out of The Flamingos' "I Only Have Eyes For You." Lyrically, "Two Weeks" is, well, in the words of the song, "a routine malaise," but the the laid back nature of the song is well served by the lyrical simplicity.
Grizzly Bear sounds old school and looks prep school.

Confidence is King for Benji Hughes

Artists that have swagger usually beat their audiences over the head with it, which is why I'm not a fan of Jay-Z when he does nothing but brag about his record sales and his money. On the other hand, artists like Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) and newcomer Benji Hughes write confident anthems about their rejections and sensitivities - making it fun to be the loser. Download "You Stood Me Up" and "Why Do These Parties Always End the Same Way" by Benji Hughes. Hughes makes up for his less-than-studly exterior with clever lyrics and a careful blend of disco, rock and folk. If you want to hear his best John Lennon, check out "All You've Got To Do Is Fall in Love."

Listen to Charlie Mars

Those that appreciate Jack Johnson's hooks but can live without his west coast scatting should check out Charlie Mars' "Listen to the Dark Side of the Moon." The recording is spacious and each acoustic-style instrument supplies at least one great melody. Mars' lyrics can be a little too simplified (I know you're a good girl / you're not out to hurt nobody), but the tone of this song makes his words ring honest (if not marijuana induced). That being said, try your hardest not to follow any of the links in this review, because Mars clearly had some bad PR rep advise him to do the "seductive" dog tag white t-shirt thing (although he has landed a relationship with the hot Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker). If you can resist that temptation, you will appreciate this song in all of its subdued glory.
Pink Floyd: now inspiring seductive stoners.

Thom Yorke's new band ??????

If you haven't heard, Thom Yorke has teamed up with Nigel Godrich (long-time Radiohead producer), Joey Waronker (Beck, Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M., Ima Robot), Mauro Refosco (Forro in the Dark), and Flea (you should know this one). The group, which has only been identified as "??????," played the first weekend of October at the Echoplex and the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles and will hopefully keep these guys busy during their off-seasons. Yorke steps up his writhing dances to another level for these performances, which consist mostly of songs from his solo album, The Eraser. Check out "Harrowdown Hill," in which Yorke's memorable melodies are backed by the impressive trance of the band's two percussionists and a simple slap bass by Flea. The group shines in "Analyse," which is built off of Yorke's skillful piano play. On "Black Swan," the most successful U.S. single from The Eraser, the band falls a little flat, but makes up for it during a sublime jam just before the last chorus - hopefully a sign of things to come.

Yorn's Hot Little Number

Pete Yorn needs to lose sleep more often. After battling a bout of insomnia, Yorn woke up and realized that he needed to record an album of duets with actress Scarlett Johansson (or maybe he woke up and realized he needed an excuse to spend one-on-one time with actress Scarlett Johansson, and who can blame him?). The resulting album, Break Up, has been met with mixed reviews, but it is clear that Johansson's voice is better than expected. Check out "Relator," a catchy tune that showcases the talent of both artists and contains lyrical references to the Beatles' "All My Loving" at time when the Fab Four are as hot as ever ("Now I'm away, I write home everyday / and I see you on the TV at night").

Wonder why Yorn would decide on Johansson?

The Best Thing to Happen to Ray LaMontagne

The story goes that Ray LaMontagne was working in a shoe factory when he woke up one morning to a Stephen Stills song and decided to become a professional musician. Ironically, I was fortunate enough to meet Stephen Stills and he advised me never to go into the music business. Three albums into his career, LaMontagne's "You Are the Best Thing," has become a hit - and for good reason. "You Are the Best Thing" is pure soul, and sounds more like something coming out of the old motown singer than a skinny bearded white dude. LaMontagne sings from a vantage point of despair, which gives credence to his over-simplified lyrics. If you haven't already done so, download "Best Thing" - it's the perfect summer song for autumn.

A Showtune for Hipsters

The wild west hasn't been this strange and enjoyable since Blazing Saddles. In "Home," Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros build a superb arrangement off of rolling percussion, cowboy yells and whistles, and a simple one-track electric guitar. Vocalists Alex Ebert and Jade Castrinos trade verses using traditional western themes of love and death without becoming a cheesy rendition of Annie Get Your Gun.
None of these people are named Edward Sharpe.

Put Phoenix on Repeat

I wonder if bands like Phoenix actually write down lyrics such as "You're going hey hey hey hey hey hey" or "Rome, Rome, Rome, Rome." Either way, singer Thomas Mars' vocals on Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix are hypnotic and refreshing, and the band delivers a playful experience with a variety of guitar noises at every turn. They're a band of Frenchies, who have been known to lose every war they have ever fought, but Phoenix has victoriously made a relevant and popular alternative album in the year 2009 (it somewhat crushes me to use the term "alternative" - it' s like I'm admitting I listen to 3 Doors Down). Plus they sounded great on Saturday Night Live, where most bands sound like a castrated version of their former selves (eh hem, Kings of Leon). Go ahead and get Wolfgang, and let's hope for many repeat performances from Phoenix for years to come. Phoenix loves scarves.

Reggae grows up nicely in Aṣa's "Jailer"

Reggae has always been about breaking free of authority, but admittedly not always on the best terms. When you're listening to "I Shot the Sheriff" and drinking a cheap beer on a boat somewhere, you don't always remember that the protagonist kills a cop for busting his weed stash (nothing against cheap beer). In "Jailer,"

Aṣa (pronounced "Asha") keeps her crimes a mystery, proving that a dress is always sexier when it shows only enough to pique your imagination. Her performance is genuine blues, and her voice seems to float over the back beat, which is polished and smooth without losing any meaning. Aṣa sounds like the real thing, like Lauryn Hill wanted to be and like Nina Simone actually was. Hopefully she doesn't throw her moral weight around on every song, but when she sings "I'm talking to you Jailer," you should feel compelled to listen.

Welcome

Like most good things in life, the idea for this site came from old friends. Whenever I meet up with old friends, one of us inevitably asks, "What are you listening to these days?" If I have good music to share, I'll shove it in my friends' faces like I'm Charlie Bucket and I just found the golden ticket (I leave out the British accent, sometimes), and it seems like the more you talk about music, the more great music you find. So I'm creating this site to share the music you should be listening to, and I hope that you share the music you love with me. My picks on this site will not always be current or even cool, but I promise it will be fun (see inset, in which music is 100% fun and 0% cool). So here's to you, old friends.