Division Day

I got a pleasant email from Kevin, the drummer from Division Day, today. He requested that I swap one of their songs I posted earlier with one that they have available on their site.

MP3: Hurricane - Division Day

I had actually just been listening to Bear Trap Island today after deciding finally that I needed to spend some quality time with it. I'm really glad I did. It's a really solid album that deserves multiple listens. It's not that it didn't really grab me right away. It's more like getting to know someone who's a little shy. As you become more familiar with the songs, and--in your head at least--get a sense of who these people are who are performing them, you realize that there's a lot to like. I'll be sure to keep checking in with these guys to make sure I don't miss a Western Canadian gig.

You can buy this cd here for only $10.

May Mix

Since I haven't posted in a while, I decided to put together a mix of some of the songs that are getting a lot of play time so far this month. Whenever I'm stumped for something to listen to, I can safely put this mix on shuffle and be happy that I did. Lots of good new stuff to listen to lately.

1. MP3: Rapture Riders (Blondie vs. The Doors)
I love this track. I put it on repeat for long stretches and have not gotten the least bit sick of it yet. It has even led me to check out some Blondie. That chick was WAY ahead of her time.



2. MP3: Roscoe - Midlake
This is another song that fails to get old for me. All in all, Midlake's new album The Trials of Van Occupanther is pretty fantastic. I'm confident that it will make my top 10 albums of 2006 list, but maybe not as high as I first thought, based on this first track. If I do a top 10 songs of 2006, this track will place pretty high.

3. MP3: Givin' It Up - Josh Rouse
Somehow Josh's new album eluded me for quite a while before I even realized he had released it. I really enjoyed Nashville and 1972, so I was excited to hear the new stuff. Especially since he wrote it after moving to Spain. It is interesting to hear the Spanish influences in the new songs, and it's fair to say that because of that, this album is a bittersweet listen for me. This track in particular doesn't have some of the most obvious Spanish overtones, but it is the one that I listen to the most.

4. MP3: Death In The Garden, Blood On The Flowers - Irving
The title track from an album I have really enjoyed a lot lately. They have a unique sound, and they mix it up a lot. How cool is the intro to this song? Another potential top 10 album.



5. MP3: Colorguard - Division Day
Beartrap Island is another album that I need to spend some more time with. The more of it that I hear, the more I love it. (edit: I replaced the sweet track Littleblood with this one at the band's request. This is also an amazing track, from the bouncy-synth intro, to the beautiful background vocals that finish the track.)



6. MP3: Gone Daddy Gone - Gnarls Barkley
I loved Crazy when I first heard it, and agreed with most other bloggers that this album was going to be HUGE this year. Unfortunately(for me), the rest of the album isn't as revolutionary as I expected. But this is a fun track, and there are a handful of other tracks that are pretty darn catchy.


7. MP3: My Young Bride - Midlake
The first real single off of Van Occupanther. The thing that I really like about these guys, is that they don't remind me of anyone else. The choices they make musically are so fresh and unique. The violins in this track, for example, really give the song a somber feel. The drums, bass, keyboards and vocals all seem to work so perfectly together. I love it.

8. MP3: Stars of CCTV - Hard Fi
This song reminds me of being in Europe, exploring the streets at night, wandering into strange bars, and just experiencing new things. I always start thinking about where I want to go next when I hear this track. Australia? South America? More Europe?


9. MP3: Conventional Wisdom - Built to Spill
The guitar hook alone is enough for me to like this track. I don't really know too much about this band yet, but if their older material is as good as the new album, I will be quite happy to get caught up.



10. MP3: Razzle Dazzle Rose - Camera Obscura
Easily the most listened to song for me this week. I absolutely love everything about this song. The bass intro is perfect. The trumpet is gorgeous throughout. Tracyanne's voice completely destroys me. It's just such a pretty song. Both this song, and the album it closes, could very well top my top 10 lists at the end of the year. "Courage my love."