Day 25: Simple Things Part 2 by Dirty Vegas from Dirty Vegas

Dirty Vegas was best known for "Days Go By," which was featured (if my memory serves) in a commercial for Mitsubishi. I liked "Days Go By," even though I don't have a Mitsubishi, so I decided to buy the whole album. According to my trusty interwebs, none of Dirty Vegas'
other songs have achieved a level of popularity of "Days Go By," so perhaps you won't have heard this one.

Listen for the awesome Pink Floyd "Another Brick in the Wall" quote starting at about 4:30.

Here it is.

Day 24: Angels or Devils by Dishwalla from Opaline

It's been an oversight for me to operate* this blog for almost a month without featuring a track from Dishwalla. Dishwalla got some major attention with their 1995 song "Counting Blue Cars" from "Pet Your Friends." Maybe because of all the lawsuits that resulted from people actually trying to pet their friends, none of Dishwalla's subsequent albums have garnered the kind of attention of "Pet Your Friends."

I think that's a shame, because their later albums have some great tracks. I've selected "Angels or Devils" from their album "Opaline." I almost picked "Nashville Skyline," but Last.fm's information told me that "Angels or Devils" was far more popular, so I think there's a greater chance you, dear reader, will like it.

Here it is.



* On a completely unrelated note, I thought I'd mention that I always used to get a kick out of the fact that when Grandma used to go get her hair done, she never went to a stylist, salon, or even a beautician. No. She went to "the beauty operator." It conjured up images of a building with conveyor belts and huge industrial-looking machines working on all these women in need of a new hairdo.

Day 23: Transit by Darcy James Argue's Secret Society

Today I'm featuring the tune Transit by Secret Society, which I've heard referred to as Steampunk Jazz. It's both an apt description and an evocative concept that the music comfortably embodies.

You can freely listen and download the MP3 file for the song at the artists' blog.

NPR recently did a story (a couple actually) on Secret Society, so here's one you can read:



The artists' blog also has links to free live performances of many of their tracks.

Day 22: Miller's Angels by Counting Crows from Recovering the Satellites

Happy Monday*!

It was kinda funny to me today when I sat down to write this post. I've selected the songs I want to feature every day for the next month or so, but I don't always write the accompanying post until later. When I sat down to write today's post, and saw (and remembered) that I'd selected "Miller's Angels," I found myself smiling and saying to myself, "Oooh that's a good song. I'll bet they'll like that."

It's another album that's really great, too. It's got "A Long December," which got played a lot on the radio when this album came out. But there are several other great songs on the album, including this one. (Also "Goodnight Elisabeth," which I almost selected...)

Here it is, so listen to it, yeah?





* Assuming such an event is possible.

Day 21: Broken Wings by Elizabethtown College Phalanx

I'm off to the second day of karate summer training today, so I'm going to keep this short. Today's song is an a capella cover of Mr. Mister's iconic Broken Wings. I found it on Grooveshark, and thought it was nicely done.

Here it is.

Day 20: Cops and Robbers by The Hoosiers from The Trick to Life

Today's song is Cops and Robbers from The Hoosiers' album The Trick to Life. This is one of those rare albums where I heard one great track (Goodbye Mr. A) that led me to purchase the album, and later found I liked every track on the album. Wikipedia tells me the album was very, very popular in England.

Day 19: Smells Like Teen Spirit by Paul Anka from Rock Swings

Today's featured song is a swing-version cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the only song I know of that rhymes mosquito and libido. And it's a far, far cry musically from yesterday's Ludovico Einaudi track.

Here it is.



This album is full of swingified covers of a variety of rock/pop/alt songs. I thought the whole project was very creative, and I love the whole album. I also recommend "The Way You Make Me Feel" and especially "Jump." "Jump" is a cover of the Van Halen track, not the Pointer Sisters "Jump [For My Love]" or for that matter the same-named track by Simple Plan -- all of which I also enjoy. I would have picked Jump, except that I think that the Nirvana song is more widely recognized than the Van Halen song. I don't know why there are so many songs about jumping. But I don't care tonight, I just want to enjoy Paul Anka's "Jump."

Do you have a favorite Nirvana song or a favorite song that involves jumping? Tell me about it in the comments!

P.S. Dear Spellcheck, "Swingified" is too a word.

Day 18: James Bond by Scouting for Girls from Scouting for Girls

Today's song is by one of those brit-pop artists that maybe everyone but me was already well aware of... but I only recently discovered this 2007 album in my (ahem) research for this blog. I particularly liked this tune.




Here it is: http://grooveshark.com/s/James+Bond/2gEQHc?src=5. If you listen long enough, the Grooveshark recording has a period of silence followed by what I assume was intended as a bonus track.

A quick search on Amazon revealed that they just released a new album in October of last year. I'll be sure to (ahem) research that album very soon for you.

By the way, has anyone heard if we're getting any new Bond films anytime soon?

Day 17: Divenire by Ludovico Einaudi from Divenire

Today, I'm sharing a sublime piano-and-strings piece. It's by Ludovico Einaudi, who is one of my favorite pianists in the ambient genre. It seems to me that he has a genuinely distinctive style of using the instruments to fill in the silence. I think this piece demonstrates Einaudi's masterful dynamism with respect to tempo, volume, and intensity of feeling.

Original: http://grooveshark.com/s/Divenire/y43a7?src=5

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RyPFwAWSKM

I originally became aware of Einaudi's music when Hearts of Space, an internet and radio program I listen to, broadcast a program (Program 840 from May 30, 2008) that showcased Einaudi's music. For those that like ambient music, I heartily recommend the Hearts of Space program. You can access the program at www.hos.com. Sadly, it is mostly a service that you have to pay to access, BUT if you sign up, you can listen to each week's program for free on Sundays. I use that to listen to new programs, and then I use a prepaid minutes plan when I want to access older programs from their archives.

Enjoy!

Day 16: Everybody's Boppin' by Karrin Allyson from Footprints

Okay, today you get a version of a golden oldie! I love this particular song. It's so upbeat and fast-paced. It always cheers me up.

I originally wanted to post what I think is the original version by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross from The Hottest New Group in Jazz. I love how well LHR improvises at such a fast tempo. The album was released in 1960, but is now digitally available. It's a great deal if you love this kind of music. It was a two-disc set, but all the music is available for about $11 at emusic. And, I almost posted the LHR rendition of Cloudburst, another great track from this album, but I think I'm going to post the New York Voices' version of the track in the days to come. I'd say stay tuned, but since web browsers lack tuners, I'll just say keep coming back!

But, after looking around at my usual places, I could not find the LHR version on any of my usual electronic sources. So, instead, I offer you a delightful version I ran across in my search. This is the version from Karrin Allyson from Footprints. I'm not familiar with the music of Karrin Allyson, but if this track is representative, I'll definitely be getting acquainted with her music more in the next few days.

Here it is.

Do you have any favorite jazz tunes? Do you the know the work of Karrin Allyson? Let me know in the comments!

Day 15: Stand Tall by Ian Axel from I'm on to You

Since I do love a little piano in my pop music, I thought maybe I'd post something from Ben Folds, who's pretty well known (and who I also love), but makes some great piano pop songs. But after thinking about it, I decided to post Ian Axel instead. To be honest, I don't really know who this guy is or how I found his music on emusic. But I'm glad I did. In some ways, Ian Axel is Ben Folds as he should have been. There's something wonderfully creative about Ben Folds, but there's something that, to my ear, is musically counter-intuitive. When I expect Ben Folds to musically zig, he musically zags. And while it's very creative, there are times when it leaves me feeling that Folds' songs feel a bit unfinished. Ian Axel's music seems like Ben Folds, but, to me, is more accessible.

Here it is.

Do you have a favorite Ben Folds or Ian Axel track? Let me know in the comments if you do!

Day 14: These Silent Hearts by Armin Van Buuren [with BT] from Mirage

I'm enjoying the upbeat mood lately, so here's a dancy upbeat track from one of my favorites, Armin Van Buuren. I became aware of AVB after I discovered his State of Trance radio show, and I have enjoyed all his albums so far. I also like BT, who's featured in this track.

Here's the track.

Do you listen to electronic music like AVB? Tell us about it in the comments.

Day 13: Tired of Being Sorry by Ringside from Ringside

I first heard Ringside on a sampler album that was left for guests in a hotel room in San Francisco. I'm not sure I realized how much I liked the album at first, but I downloaded the album, and it became the soundtrack for a great trip up the west coast. I read that Ringside only made this album, which is too bad, because I really like the sound. And there's still enough variation in the songs that they don't all blend together. I also recommend Criminal (track 11) from the album for those who want a little more Ringside. Well, actually I recommend the whole album.

Here it is. Enjoy.

Day 12: Goodbye My Lover by James Blunt from Back to Bedlam

I've had a number of my friends and family ask me lately why I am doing this song blog.

The answer is simply that I'm doing this blog so that I and my readers can discover music. When I was growing up, it seemed that everybody listened to the radio, and we all learned about new music that way. I've grown to dislike commercial radio, and even when I listen in, I feel like they're still playing music I've already heard. When they do play something new, they often fail to tell me the name of the artist or album so that I can find it for myself.

When I was in junior high and high school, my friends and I also used to make mix tapes, which was another way to share music and turn the enjoyment of music into a social experience. Now almost nobody has a cassette player anymore. It's just as well. The computer is a much better way to share music anyway. In a sense, this blog is like a mix tape of music I like, but broken down into individual songs. Releasing a song each day lets me say a little about how I discovered each song and what I like about it. It also keeps the amount of content from being too overwhelming.

I'm hoping that, through your comments and suggestions, I'll come to discover or re-discover music too.

Indeed, today, I'm featuring a song that my mom suggested. She told me the other day how she was discovering all this new music that she didn't know about, and she mentioned this James Blunt tune in particular.

Here it is.

I do enjoy the music of James Blunt myself, although Blunt's voice is not my favorite. He's got a bit of a scratchy quality at times that seems a bit at odds with the sentiment in the songs. But that doesn't detract from the songs much. And I find that Blunt's songs are original enough that they don't immediately remind me of other songs I've heard before.

I think I'll have another suggestion from a friend tomorrow.

If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Day 11: Love the Way You Lie/Dynamite/Teenage Dream

Okay, today's tune is a bit of an enigma to me. I was looking for the Glee cast version of Teenage Dream on Grooveshark when I ran across this medley of these three tunes. I love how well the three songs were worked together. It reminds me of Glee. But if the Glee people composed this medley, I guess I must have missed that episode.

Grooveshark listed the performers as Sam Tsui & Kurt Schneider, and the album was YouTube. So, I looked for the track on YouTube. Sure enough, there it was with a video AND a free download of the MP3.

Hear it on Grooveshark.

See it you YouTube. You have to click on "Show More" to get to the link where you can download the track and where you can provide a donation to the performers if you wish.

Have you ran across music you love online? Let me know what songs and where in the comments!

Day 10: Tonight, Tonight, Tonight by Beat Crusaders

Okay, today you get a track I love from a TV show. The track was the soundtrack to one of the seasons of the anime Bleach, which I love. I don't know much about the song or the group, except that they're Japanese and I love their sound.

So just listen to the song.

After deciding to post this song, I did a little exploring on this group on GrooveShark and found several other tunes that I loved. They've got a cover of I Can See Clearly Now that I particularly enjoyed.

I'm always frustrated though when I come to like music that's produced abroad. Beat Crusaders is impossible, so far as I am aware, to find on the traditional download sites (iTunes, emusic, and Amazon). I was delighted it was at least on GrooveShark so that you could hear this particular track.

Are there songs that you heard in TV shows and loved? Tell me about it in the comments!

Day 9: Skinny Dipping by The Five Corners Quintet from Hot Corner

Although I've been mostly posting more popular songs, I love jazz, and so just be warned. There will be jazz. Sometimes. But don't worry. It will be awesome. You'll see.

This group, Five Corners Quintet, has produced two fantastic albums that I've purchased. The group's got this great sophisticated retro-jazz loungy style. When I first heard the group's earlier album, Chasin' the Jazz Gone By, I thought the sound was so distinctive compared to the other new jazz I'd heard lately. The second album continued producing this wonderful distinctive sound.

The albums have some tracks with great vocals, and some tracks are purely instrumental. The vocal tracks are really good too, and I'm certain I'll be posting one of those in the days to come.

This particular track has a really catchy beginning and some mean piano and bass. And horns! Finally some horns! Enjoy.

http://grooveshark.com/s/Skinny+Dipping/3KVY53?src=5

What are your favorite jazz songs? Let me know in the comments!

Day 8: In the Summertime by The Rural Alberta Advantage from Hometowns

Just at the outset, I have to say I think that Hometowns is a great album. I found it on emusic, and it's got a lot going for it. There's a lot of variety from song to song. It's got great cover art. The band's style is simple but compelling. It's one of my favorite finds.

Here it is.

I could have picked any one of several songs from the album to post here, but I picked In the Summertime because I think it best showcases the band's sincerity. The instrumentation is simple but unusual. (Today it's the organ, though, that makes it unusual.) The two vocalists are a great complement for one another. The song is short, the lyrics are clear, and the band does a great job of conveying the emotions behind the words.

When Jeremiah and I went to Hawaii after I took the bar exam, this was one of the songs we listened to a bunch while driving all over the big island to see the sights. So, it brings back happy memories too.

Have you heard any albums recently that you loved? Let us know in the comments!

Day 7: Fire Island, AK by The Long Winters from Putting the Days to Bed

This is another track I first heard on Pandora. I later bought the full album, and, unfortunately, the rest of the album just doesn't have any songs that I found to be as enjoyable or memorable as this one. Although this song doesn't feature the piano as prominently throughout as some of the other songs I've picked, I still find the piano track compelling, and I think it nicely complements the guitar throughout. I also thought the style of piano, guitar, and the quality of the lead vocalist's voice just worked really well together.

The lyrics to this tune are also unusual and enigmatic. I've googled them to try to figure out what they might be about, and I couldn't find anything but speculation. Maybe that's for the best... perhaps poetry is best when individuals all draw their own meaning from the words.

Has anyone else listened to this artist or album before? Are there other great tracks that I've failed to fully appreciate? If so, please let me know in the comments!

Here it is.

Day 6: Apologize by OneRepublic from Dreaming Out Loud

This was another one of those songs I heard playing while out and about in the world, realized I'd probably heard it a hundred times, liked it, but never really paid much attention to it. The album contains two versions of this song. The Timbaland version (the last track on the album) is probably the more popular version, but the non-Timbaland version is, in my opinion, slightly better. So here it is!

http://grooveshark.com/s/Apologize/2vdMiP?src=5

As I've been selecting songs to post to you, I've realized how much I love pop songs that have pianos and strings.

What are your favorite popular songs that feature pianos and/or string instruments? Let me know in the comments!

Day 5: So Sweet by Oak is Keeping from Animal Style

I found this track as a recommendation from emusic. I often purchase music from emusic's site because their catalog is properly licensed but less expensive than Amazon or iTunes. And emusic has a lot of unusual stuff, and I often just enjoy browsing. On the flip side, I've definitely bought some albums from them I later wished I could give back. Oh well, I suppose that can be true of any album. I guess that's the feeling that every Star Wars fan has about The Phantom Menace.

Anyway, the piano riff at the beginning really drew me in to this nice tune. I hope you like it.

Sadly, neither Grooveshark or Playlist.com has this tune in their collections, but you can still hear it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU0kvTT6wAs.

I have to admit I'm still processing the album this track comes from. I had planned to write that none of the rest of the tracks on the album particularly vibed with me. Then, as I was writing this post, I started to enjoy the very next track on the album: Burn it all Down. So, I'm going to listen to it a bit more before I dismiss the rest of the album.

Are there songs that you fell in love with after the first few notes? If so, please tell me about it in the comments!

Day 4: The Diamond Church Street Choir by The Gaslight Anthem

This is another tune I discovered while listening to Pandora. Pandora is such a great site for discovering new music, but I've discovered that I have to be a little patient. It'll play a lot of music I've heard, and a lot of music I dislike!

Anyway, this song reached out and grabbed me. I later bought the band's album, American Slang. The album is good, but this is still my favorite tune from the album. The song (and the album) have a kind of classic American feel, if such a thing really exists. It reminded me of Springsteen or Mellencamp without particularly sounding like either one.

What are your classic American-style rock tunes? Let me know in the comments.

Here it is.

Day 3: Kashmir by Escala

I can't remember where I first heard this version of Kashmir. I think it might have been on Pandora. In any case, I do remember thinking I'd heard it before, but I couldn't place it. As many of you probably know without having to look up the song on Google, it's an iconic (Can a song be iconic?) Led Zeppelin song.

In fact, the Led Zeppelin song has its own Wikipedia page. Apparently, just about every musical group makes a cover of the song. No wonder it seemed so familiar!

In any case, I really like the Escala version. It's substantially shorter than the original, and I really like the updated instrumentation and tempo.

Unfortunately, playlist.com, the site that makes the nice little playlists and miniplayers I've used the last couple of days doesn't have the song in their library, but you can hear the full tune on Grooveshark at http://grooveshark.com/s/Kashmir+ft+Slash+/2ze1Lm?src=5.

Are there songs that you heard about a thousand times before you realized that you liked the song and wondered what it was? Tell us about it in the comments.

Day 2: Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z (with Alicia Keys)

I'm not a huge fan of rap music generally, but there are a few rap songs that I hear and love. Today's song is one of them. It feels like this song was a kind of soundtrack song for the year I recently spent studying at Columbia in New York City, and they even played it at University Commencement (just after Sinatra singing New York, New York). I'm sure this song will always make me remember the time I spent in NYC.

The Glee cast did a version of the song, and I thought it was just as good (perhaps better?) than the original version, so I'm mentioning it too.

Are there songs that you think of as the soundtrack to a certain part of your life? Use the comments to say what they are! I'd love to hear about them!

Here it is.

Day 1: War on Christmas by The American Dollar

Hello! I've decided to start my own "song-a-day" blog. I enjoy discovering new music, and much of the music that I discover comes from my friends' recommendations. So, I thought I'd start this blog to share some of my musical discoveries with my friends, and, with any luck, my friends will share more of their discoveries with me.

By the way, I am looking for a collaborator who would also be willing to post a song a day (most days). Drop me a line if you're interested.

Today, I picked "War on Christmas" by The American Dollar. I ran across The American Dollar when I watched a video that a friend posted to Facebook. There was a little note that the soundtrack was one of their songs. I followed a link, listened to a couple of previews, and decided I had to have the album. The album I bought was a compilation that was sold under "pay what you want" pricing, which was something I'd heard about but never seen before. I'd add that their album cover art is pretty amazing. Check out the album and the cover art.

Here is the song.