Monday Music Roundup

Good morning and happy Monday. Hey, is it just me or was Jon Stewart *extremely* funny last night on the Oscars? He (along with the wonders of the fast-forward button on TiVo) made them bearable. I love Jon Stewart, I don't watch him nearly enough. Anyway, on to the musica!

"Hungry Heart"
(Springsteen cover)
Stars
When I saw Stars in Boulder on Valentine's Day, they performed this and it was one of the highlights of the show for me. For some reason the hipster indie college-student crowd did not offer a warm reception to the Springsteen (just a lot of "meh" expressions), but I just love the smooth-as-honey flow and the honest, open timbre of Amy Millan's voice, and how they infuse this song with their own twist. I have been laboring in vain to find a copy since then. So a HUGE thank you to Casey and those at Mocking Music for posting up this lovely, lovely cover. Danke!

"Waving Not Drowning"
Ocean Colour Scene
These guys are much better-known across the pond in their native U.K., where they were multi-platinum selling artists in the mid-90's. Championed by folk like Paul Weller and Oasis for "keeping the flame of real rock'n'roll burning," the band has been around since the late '80s, when they met at a Stone Roses concert. Poetic. I really dig the epic classic vibe of this song which features harmonica (yay!), nice piano touches & a singalong chorus, with mod forefathers Jools Holland and Weller guesting. From their 2005 album A Hyperactive Workout for the Flying Squad. And for those of you playing along at home, Ocean Colour Scene has a new track "The Word" available to stream on their website.

"Everyday is a Holiday (With You)"
Esthero & Sean Lennon
Piano-based sunny day music with a touch of brass. I admit (yes, I'll say it) to liking Esthero's hit this past summer with Wikked 'Lil Grrrls, and her joint effort here with Sean Lennon also carries a splendid retro feel to it (like 'Wikked'). It's almost like it should be in a Singin' In The Rain-type movie. But I am all over it. Thanks to the excellent ((sm))all ages blog for this and other fun songs. Song from the (dear God) Monster-In-Law soundtrack, which actually features some other good female vocalists, like Rachel Yamagata, Ivy, and Tegan & Sara.

"Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere"
(Neil Young/Crazy Horse cover)
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
I mentioned the new covers CD that Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoff have put out under the moniker Sid N Susie, which I think sounds fabulous (laden with covers of '60s hits) and I will definitely purchase it. The title is "Under The Covers, Vol. 1" and it is being released by Shout Factory Records on (my brother's birthday) April 18th. Here is a nice little preview, not one of the songs streaming on their MySpace page. It is interesting the similarities in Neil Young's voice and Matthew Sweet's - I never noticed that before. I'm looking forward to the release of this compilation.

"Throw It All Away"
(live at Neumo's)
Brandi Carlile
This popped into my inbox this week, as Brandi Carlile is coming through Denver on Friday with the (wonderful in-concert) Jamie Cullum and "her people" wanted to draw my attention to that fact. I forgot that I had heard about her before, from Nathaniel on his Girls Have Cooties post, and also from the Valentine From Jesus mix tape. She's opened for folks I really like, such as Ray LaMontagne and Chris Isaak last summer. I thought it was interesting to read other people's thoughts about her music and hear her compared to a female Jeff Buckley. That's not a comparison to be taken lightly, but I do actually hear it. Her honest, sometimes cracking, powerful, wrenching voice also has a hint of that throaty/cabaret/Nina Simone edge that I loved in Buckley. Her music is raw and unproduced, and I believe her when she sings, "All I know is I would throw it all away." You can download more stuff on her website.


BONUS: If you watch The Office (and if you don't, start), you will likely find this as funny as I do. Comic genius.