Monthly Mixtape

October: Brown Paper Packages...

This is another lazy month,

a list of ten songs,

with some words,

Read em and weep.

Or listen.

A New Decade - The Verve

Why don't I listen to Oasis? Two reasons, their douchebag frontmen and The Verve. And no, none of the other descriptions will be this brief, but I will strive for brevity...sort of.

Lola Stars and Stripes - The Stills

The Stills debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart, besides having a great title, is loaded with great songs that are romantic without being too messy or too dissonant, political without being preachy or obscure. The music is lush without sounding overproduced, don't ask me how, it just is. I'll try to use the word "without" less frequently.

Powder Blue - Elbow

Elbowing their way into my top five bands, this is the band we almost got when Keane and Coldplay were talking about merging back in the 90's before either made it big (didn't know that? Yeah, we almost had a 21st century version of the Beatles). Now both bands pale in comparison to Elbow, who perhaps has the worst name, but hands down has the best catalog. Disagree? Give em a listen.

Arizona - The Kings of Leon

Sadly, the Kings new album wasn't released early enough last month for me to use a track from it, maybe next month. In their honor (they are coming to town this month, with fellow mixtape companion, The Stills) I've got one of the best tracks from their third album released just last year, or maybe early this year. I'm not sure, it hasn't been long though.

Lights Out for Darker Skies - British Sea Power

Besides the Kings of Leon, British Sea Power has the best third album release of the new generation of rock n roll. While their peers have been making mistakes (Interpol, The Storkes, etc...) they've released three solid albums, with Do You Like Rock Music? being their best yet.

Profanity Prayers - Beck

Let me start things off by saying I'm a big fan of Danger Mouse, and I think he is exactly what Beck needed to wash the muck of his last album off his hands, out of his hair, and from whatever other crevices it may have clung. I seriously hated The Information. But Modern Guilt is a great enema to that diarrhetic piece of sonic trash. Hyperbolic? Listen to it and get back to me.

All You Do is Talk - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

BRMC is another reason I need to give up the top five list concept. This song is from their newest album, which was not well recieved by critics, and I'm the only fan I know so I'm not sure how diehards felt about it. I thought this was the best song from it though.

All These Things that I've Done - The Killers

The main reason for putting this song up is that Nike commercial from the Olympics. If you missed it, find it on youtube. The other reason is it may remind you of when they didn't suck. Their performance on SNL last weekend was pitiable. Brandon Flowers looked like an ostrich in desperate need of some prozac (if you saw it, you know what I mean) and the music was snooze worthy.

I Think I'm In Love - Spiritualized

Spiritualized is probably in my top five bands, not that it matters to you, but I came to that realization this month I also realized as of this moment I probably have too many top five bands to actually narrow it down to a single top five. Oh, and this is one of the best eight minute songs there is, period.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Originally this song came in front of the BRMC track, hence the odd repition of the top five concept, I know it looks odd, but the list flows better now, remember, it's all about the music.

Only in Dreams - Weezer

Another one of the best eight minute songs, but not quite worthy of saying "period" at the end. Is it really sad to peak on your first album? I would say yes, only because Weezer refuses to admit it. I haven't even bothered checking out the Red Album.