The Oedipus Project
“Splitting Up Christmas” is a paean to love from Kevin Devine, the Brooklyn singer/songwriter. Originally on the album Make the Clocks Move from 2003, this out-of-print record has been re-released this year.
The song itself is a free download and is our Christmas Song of the Day.
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“Splitting Up Christmas” by Kevin Devine
Among many musics, I also collect Christmas songs. For years I have hosted a live annual Christmas Eve show on the radio in Boston, commercial-free, and this year is no exception. This Christmas Eve, from 6:00 pm—Midnight, I will once again be on-the-air on WFNX (101.7 FM) and WFNX.com.
Every year I listen to hundreds of new Christmas songs and new cover versions of Christmas classics searching for a few gems. Most of these songs are derivative, dumb, downright dreadful or combination of all three. But there are always a few that rise above the drivel and should be heard.
This year I was presently surprised that Target has put together a Christmas compilation of new songs called The Christmas Gig and is giving it away for free on their website.
Listen now to “Got Something for You” performed by Best Coast and Wavves, two artists that we have featured individually here in the past and “Get Down for the Holidays” by Jenny O., a singer/songwriter from LA.
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“Got Something For You” by Best Coast and the Wavves
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“Get Down for the Holidays” by Jenny O.
X-Ray Spex, one of the early punk bands out of London in the 70’s, is best known for the classic song “Oh Bondage Up Yours” and their only studio album from that era, Germ Free Adolescents.
The band briefly reformed in the 90’s.
Poly Styrene, the lead singer, plans to release a solo album in March and has also recorded a Christmas song.
According to her website, “Black Christmas was written by Poly and her daughter Celeste who features on the recording and was inspired by news about a killer in Los Angeles dressing up as Santa Claus”.
“Black Christmas” is a free download and is the first of a number of Christmas songs to be featured here in the days ahead.
“Black Christmas” by Poly Styrene
Bradford Cox, the lead singer and guitarist for Deerhunter (featured here previously), records solo under the name Atlas Sound. These home recordings are thoughts, meanderings, layered instrumentations, and experiments emanating from inside his prolific brain.
Currently he has four new albums of Atlas Sound material, (most of which was recorded in November!!!), entitled Bedroom Databank, Vol.1-4, available on the Deerhunter/Atlas Sound website, all free to download. Explore at your leisure.
“Mouth of the Desert”, “Mona Lisa” and “Terrarium” are from Volumes 2,3 and 4 respectively.
“Mouth of the Desert”
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“Mona Lisa”
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“Terrarium”
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Girls is an indie band out of San Francisco lead by Christopher Owens and Chet “JR” White. Their debut album, Album, was one of last year’s best indie records. They have now followed it with a 6-song EP, Broken Dreams Club.
In Christopher’s own words: “A friend of mine once told me that all great art is inspiration and then just a lot of hard work. He’s a famous artist and used to say this to people who would ask him for the secret to his success. As a band we’ve come to learn that this is true. We’ve been welcomed with open arms by so many of you over the last year or so that in turn we’ve spent all our time fulfilling invitations to play live everywhere around the world. Each time we thought we should give it a rest we would get another offer we just couldn’t refuse – who wouldn’t want to go to Japan and play with The Smashing Pumpkins, or Julian Casablancas in the south of France?
It’s true that when you give love you will receive love and it was only because of the love that we’ve received from our fans that we have been able to drastically improve the quality of our work. This record is a letter of intent, it’s a snapshot of the horizon. We took the money we’ve made on tour and worked with the kind of equipment and musicians that would have been too expensive for us in the past. All of us have something to say and give and this is what happens when we show a little interest and support in others. We couldn’t have made this record without you. So this is our gift to you, our way of saying thank you for giving us the chance to work at the level we’ve always wanted to and a taste of things to come.
We really couldn’t have done this record without each one of you. This isn’t Girls all grown up, but it’s certainly the next step up from Album. This is Broken Dreams Club – a record from our hearts to yours.
This is your new record as much as ours. Thank you for this opportunity and as always, thank you for listening.”
From the EP, “Heartbreaker” is a free download and the Song of the Day.
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“Heartbreaker” by Girls
The politically-charged punk band Gang of Four were notoriously influential in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Songs like “I Love a Man in a Uniform”, “Damaged Goods” and “To Hell with Poverty!” are punk classics and group’s passion inspired numerous bands that followed.
Gang of Four disbanded, reformed and changed personnel over the years but two of the principals, singer Jon King and guitarist Andy Gill, have maintained the band in its various forms. They are releasing Content, their first album in sixteen years, in January. On their website the band is offering a free download of three songs: a new version of the song “Glass” from their 1979 debut album Entertainment!, a new song “Sleeper” that did not make it to the new album, and a remix of a song that did entitled “I Party All the Time”.
Concerning the reworked version of “Glass”, Andy told The Guardian newspaper: “Glass is a song me and Jon had been confused about for years. We loved the words with Jon’s cartoon-like snapshots of our banal real lives, and we knew the music was great but not right – it seemed too busy and kind of old fashioned. Then in 2005 we said: “Enough! This song needs to breath!” So we did a simple stripped-down thing that matched the ultra-minimalism of the words. That was it – confusion over”.
Here are both versions of “Glass”.
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“Glass”
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“Glass” (reworked)
Girl Talk is Greg Gillis, musician and DJ out of Pittsburgh. He creates amazing Mash-ups using multiple samples from a huge array of artists. His latest, entitled All Day, is over an hour long and includes almost 400 samples! And it is free to download on his website.
It has to be heard to be believed. Perfect for a long holiday weekend. A feast of music. Gobble Gobble indeed!
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Here is a list of the samples:
#
2 Live Crew – Banned in the U.S.A.
2 Live Crew – Get it Girl
2Pac – Me Against the World
2Pac ft. KC & Jojo – How Do U Want It
8Ball & MJG – You Don’t Want Drama
50 Cent – Disco Inferno
50 Cent – Get Up
50 Cent – Wanksta
50 Cent – Window Shopper
A
a-ha – Take on Me
Aaliyah – Try Again
Afro-Rican – Give it All You Got (Doggy Style)
Christina Aguilera ft. Nicki Minaj – Woohoo
Amerie – Why R U
Aphex Twin – Windowlicker
Arcade Fire – Wake Up
Art of Noise – Moments in Love
Arts & Crafts – Surely
B
B.o.B. ft. Bruno Mars – Nothin’ on You
B.o.B. ft. Rich Boy – Haterz Everywhere
B.o.B. ft. T.I. & Playboy Tre – Bet I Bust
Baby Bash ft. Lloyd – Good for My Money
Banarama – Cruel Summer
The Bangz – Found My Swag
David Banner – Get Like Me
Barbee ft. Trina – Come See About Me
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock – Joy and Pain
Basement Jaxx – Where’s Your Head At?
Beastie Boys – Hey Ladies
Beastie Boys – Intergalactic
Beastie Boys – Paul Revere
Beastie Boys – Root Down
Beck – Loser
Pat Benatar – Heartbreaker
Big Boi – Shutterbug
Big Daddy Kane – Smooth Operator
Big Tymers – Still Fly
Birdman ft. Drake & Lil Wayne – Money to Blow
Birdman ft. Lil Wayne & Kevin Rudolf – I Want It All
Black Box – Everybody Everybody
Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow
Black Rob – Whoa!
Black Sabbath – War Pigs
Blondie – Dreaming
Blue Öyster Cult – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – 1st of tha Month
Boogie Down Productions – South Bronx
The Brothers Johnson – Strawberry Letter 23
James Brown – Funky Drummer
Ron Browz and Jim Jones ft. Juelz Santana – Pop Champagne
Bun B ft. Webbie & Juvenile – Pop It 4 Pimp
Bush – Glycerine
Busta Rhymes – Dangerous
Busta Rhymes – Make It Clap
Busta Rhymes ft. Swizz Beatz – Stop the Party
C
Cali Swag District – Teach Me How to Dougie
Cals ft. Styles P – See Through the Walls (Remix)
Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth
The Cars – Moving in Stereo
Cassidy – Face to Face
Cassidy ft. Swizz Beatz – B-Boy Stance
Chelley – Took the Night
Chick Da Flyest ft. Travis Porter – Marvelous
Chubb Rock – Treat ‘Em Right
Citizen King – Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)
The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go
George Clinton – Atomic Dog
Clipse – Champion
Clipse – I’m Good
Dennis, Coffey – Scorpio
Collective Soul – Shine
Lyn Collins – Think (About It)
Cream – Sunshine of Your Love
Crime Mob – Knuck If You Buck
Crooked I – Everything
Cypress Hill – How I Could Just Kill a Man
Miley Cyrus – Party in the U.S.A.
D
The D.O.C. – It’s Funky Enough
DJ Amaze – I Wanna Rock
DJ Class – I’m the Ish
DJ Funk – Pop Those Thangs
DJ Jubilee – Get Ready
DJ Laz ft. Flo Rida & Casely – Move Shake Drop
DJ OGB ft. Francisco & Gemeni – Hands Up
DJ Unk – Futuristic Slide
DMX – Party Up (Up In Here)
DMX – What’s My Name
DMX ft. Sheek – Get at Me Dog
Daft Punk – Digital Love
Daft Punk – One More Time
Daft Punk – Television Rules the Nation
Darude – Sandstorm
Ester Dean – Drop It Low
Ester Dean – Drop It Low*
Deftones – Around the Fur
Dem Boyz ft. Baby Boy Nate – Supa Dupa
Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough
Derek and the Dominos – Layla
Devo – Gates of Steel
Devo – Whip It
Neil Diamond – Cherry, Cherry
Diamond – Lotta Money
Diddy – Dirty Money ft. Rick Ross & Nicki Minaj
Diddy – Tell Me
Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance
Dirtbag & Timbaland – Here We Go
The Disco Four – Move to the Groove
Dominique Young Unique – Show My Ass
The Doors – Waiting For The Sun
Dorrough – Ice Cream Paint Job
Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, & Kurupt – The Next Episode
Dr. Octagon – Blue Flowers
Drake – Over
Drake ft. Kanye West, Lil Wayne, & Eminem – Forever
E
E-40 ft Shawty Lo – Break Ya Ankles
Electric Light Orchestra – Mr. Blue Sky
Missy Elliot – Get Ur Freak On
Missy Elliot ft. Ludacris – Gossip Folks
Eminem ft. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent – Crack a Bottle
Gloria Estefan – Words Get in the Way
Expose – Point of No Return
F
Fabolous – Young’n (Holla Back)
Fabolous ft. Nate Dogg – Can’t Deny It
Fatman Scoop – Party Anthem
Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing
Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing (Prince Paul Remix)
Flo Rida ft. Kesha – Right Round
A Flock of Seagulls – I Ran
The Four Tops – Reach Out I’ll Be There
Foxy Brown – Hot Spot
Frederico Franchi – Cream
Free School ft. Kelis & Apl.De.Ap
Freeway ft. Peedi Crack – Flipside
Doug E. Fresh – La Di Da Di
Fugazi – Waiting Room
G
GZA – Liquid Swords
Peter Gabriel – In Your Eyes
Gang Starr ft. Nice & Smooth – DWYCK
Sean Garrett ft. Drake – Feel Love
General Public – Tenderness
Genesis – Tonight, Tonight, Tonight
Ghost Town DJ’s – My Boo
Ginuwine – Pony
Ginuwine ft. Timbaland & Missy Elliot – Get Involved
The Go-Go’s – We Got The Beat
Grand Funk Railroad – We’re an American Band
The Grass Roots – Let’s Live for Today
Grateful Dead – Casey Jones
Gucci Mane – I’m The Shit
Gucci Mane – Making Love to the Money
Gucci Mane ft. Swizz Beatz – Gucci Time
Gucci Mane ft. Usher – Spotlight
H
Hall & Oates – You Make My Dreams
Herbie Hancock – Rockit
George Harrison – Got My Mind Set on You
Harvey Danger – Flagpole Sitta
Heavy D & the Boyz – We Got Our Own Thang
Keri Hilson – Pretty Girl Rock
Keri Hilson – Turnin Me On
Hotstylz – Lookin’ Boy
I
INXS – Need You Tonight
Ice Cube – It Was a Good Day
Ice Cube – The Nigga Ya Love to Hate
Ice Cube – We Be Clubbin’
Billy Idol – Dancing with Myself
Billy Idol – Mony Mony
The Isley Brothers – Shout
J
J-Kwon – Tipsy ’09
J-Kwon – Yeah
J. Cole – Blow Up
JC ft. Yung Joc – Vote 4 Me
Janet Jackson – Love Will Never Do (Without You)
Janet Jackson – Someone to Call My Lover
Joe Jackson – Steppin’ Out
Michael Jackson – Black or White
Jackson 5 – I Want You Back
Jadakiss ft. Swizz Beatz & OJ Da Juiceman – Who’s Real
Jane’s Addiction – Jane Says
Jay-Z – 99 Problems
Jay-Z – D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)
Jay-Z – Dirt off Your Shoulder
Jay-Z – Empire State of Mind
Jay-Z ft. Amil & Ja Rule – Can I Get A…
Jay-Z ft. Swizz Beatz – On to the Next One
Jibbs ft. Lloyd – The Dedication (Ay DJ)
Jodeci – It’s Alright
Joe Public – Live and Learn
Juice – Catch a Groove
Johnny Kemp – Just Got Paid
K
Kesha – Tik Tok
Kid ‘n Play – Rollin’ with Kid ‘n Play
Kid Cudi – Day ‘n’ Nite (Crookers Remix)
Kid Cudi ft. Kanye West & Common -“Make Her Say”
Jean Knight – Mr. Big Stuff
Jordan Knight – Give It to You
Beyonce Knowles – Diva
Beyonce Knowles – Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Beyonce Knowles – Sweet Dreams
Kraftwerk – More Fun to Compute
Krave ft. Flo Rida, Pitbull, & Lil Jon – Go Crazy
L
LL Cool J – Jingling Baby (Remixed but Still Jingling)
LL Cool J ft. Jennifer Lopez – Control Myself
Lady Gaga – Bad Romance
Lady Gaga – LoveGame
Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time
The Lemon Pipers – Green Tambourine
John Lennon – Imagine
Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz ft. Ying Yang Twins – Get Low
Lil Jon ft. E-40 & Sean Paul – Snap Yo Fingers
Lil Kim ft. Mr. Cheeks – The Jump Off
Lil Wayne – A Milli
Lil Wil – Bust It Open
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam – Let the Beat Hit ‘Em
Love and Rockets – So Alive
Ludacris – How Low
Ludacris ft. Lil Scrappy – Everybody Drunk
Ludacris ft. Mystikal & I-20 – Move Bitch
Ludacris ft. Nicki Minaj – My Chick Bad
M
M.I.A. – Paper Planes
M.O.P. – Ante Up
MC Shan – The Bridge
MGMT – Kids
MSTRKRFT ft. N.O.R.E. & Isis – Bounce
Craig Mack ft. Notorius B.I.G., Mack, Rampage, LL Cool J, & Busta
Madness – Our House
Main Source – Looking at the Front Door
Mandrill – Honey Butt
Mandrill – Positive Thing
Mann ft. Yung Sneed – Fight Come Wit It
Master P – Ooohhhwee
Master P ft. Weebie & Krazy – Rock It
Method Man & Redman – Tear It Off
George Michael – Freedom! ’90
Steve Miller – Jungle Love
Mims – Move (If You Wanna)
Nicki Minaj – Your Love
Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head
Modern English – I Melt with You
Alanis Morissette – You Oughta Know
Mr. Cheeks ft. Missy Elliot, Diddy, & Petey Pablo – Lights, Camera, Action! (Remix)
Mr. Oizo – Flat Beat
N
N.E.R.D. – Everybody Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom)
N.W.A. – Appetite For Destruction
N.W.A. – Express Yourself
N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton
Nas – Got Ur Self A…
Naughty by Nature – Everything’s Gonna Be Alright
New Edition – If It Isn’t Love
New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle
Nine Inch Nails – Closer
Nirvana – Aneurysm
Nirvana – In Bloom
The Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize
The Notorious B.I.G. – Nasty Boy
The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge & Avery Storm – Nasty Girl
O
O’mega Red & Detail – Endz
OMG Girlz – Haterz
Ol Dirty Bastard – Shimmy Shimmy Ya
OutKast ft. Sleepy Brown – The Way You Move
Outkast – B.O.B.
P
The Pack – This Shit Slappin’
Robert Palmer – Addicted to Love
Party Boyz ft. Dorrough & Charlie Boy – Flex (Remix)
Katy Perry – California Gurls
Pet Shop Boys – Opportunies (Let’s Make Lots of Money)
Phoenix – 1901
Pitbull – Hotel Room Service
Pitbull ft. Honorebel – I Wanna
Pitbull ft. Lil Jon – Krazy
Iggy Pop – Lust for Life
Travis Porter – Go Shorty Go
Portishead – Sour Times
Billy Preston – Nothing from Nothing
Prince – Delirious
Prince – Gett Off
Project Pat & Juicy J – Twerk That
Eric Prydz – Pjanoo
Public Enemy – Bring the Noise
Public Enemy – Public Enemy No. 1
R
Radiohead – Creep
Radiohead – Idioteque
Rage Against The Machine – Killing in the Name Of
The Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop
Rancid – Ruby Soho
The Rapture – House of Jealous Lovers
Ray J ft. Ludacris – Celebration
Rhymes – Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)
Rosalind Rice & French Montana – Hustler
Rich Boy – Drop
Rihanna – Rude Boy
Rihanna ft. Jeezy – Hard
The Rolling Stones – Paint It, Black
Rick Ross – B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast)
Run-D.M.C. – It’s Tricky
Run-D.M.C. – It’s like That
Rye Rye ft. M.I.A. – Bang
S
Shorty Long – Function At the Junction
The Showboys – Drag Rap
Simon & Garfunkel – Cecilia
Sir Mix-a-Lot – Posse on Broadway
Skee-Lo – I Wish
Slim ft. Red Cafe – Break U Down
Frankie Smith – Double Dutch Bus
Jimmy Smith – I’m Gonna Love Just A Little Bit More Babe
Willow Smith – Whip My Hair
Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell – Drop It Like It’s Hot
Snoop Dogg ft. The-Dream – Gangsta Luv
Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em – Bird Walk
Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em – Pretty Boy Swag
Spacehog – In the Meantime
Britney Spears – Circus
Bruce Springsteen – Dancing in the Dark
Billy Squier – The Big Beat
Starpoint – Object of My Desire
Edwin Starr – Twenty Five Miles
Supastaar ft. Gorilla Zoe & Yung Joc – Head N Shoulders
Supergrass – Alright
Swizz Beatz – It’s Me Bitches
Swizz Beatz ft. Bounty Killer – Guilty
T
T’Pau – Heart and Soul
T-No – Fucked Up
T-Pain ft. Young Jeezy – Reverse Cowgirl
T.I. – Rubberband Man
T.I. ft. Keri Hilson – Got Your Back
T. Rex – 20th Century Boy
Talking Heads – Take Me to the River
The Temptations – Get Ready
Terror Squad – Lean Back
Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life
Three 6 Mafia – Who Run It
Justin Timberlake – SexyBack
The Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name
Toadies – Possum Kingdom
Torch ft. Rick Ross, Waka Flocka Flame, Yo Gotti, N.O.R.E. – Bang Yo City
Allen Toussaint – Get Out Of My Life Woman
Trick Daddy ft. The Slip-N-Slide Express – Take It To Da House
Trick Daddy ft. Trina, Co., & Deuce – Shut Up
Trina ft. Kase & Deuce Poppi – Pull Over (Remix)
Trina ft. Killer Mike – Look Back at Me
Twista ft. Erika Shevon – Wetter
U
U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
U2 – With or Without You
UGK – One Day
Uncle Louie – I Like Funky Music
Usher ft. Nicki Minaj – Lil Freak
Usher ft. will.i.am – OMG
V
V.I.C. – Wobble
Bobby Valentino ft. Yung Joc – Beep
Van Halen – Eruption
Van Halen – Jump
W
Waka Flocka Flame – Hard in da Paint
Wale ft. Gucci Mane – Pretty Girls
Warrant – Cherry Pie
Crystal Waters – Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)
Barry White – I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby
White Town – Your Woman
White Zombie – Thunder Kiss ’65
Marva Whitney – Unwind Yourself
The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again
Whodini – Friends
Whodini – I’m a Ho
will.i.am & Nicki Minaj – Check It Out
Duke Williams and the Extremes – Chinese Chicken
The Edgar Winter Group – Frankenstein
Steve Winwood- Roll with It
Wiz Khalifa – Black and Yellow
Y
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll
Ying Yang Twins – Wild Out
Young Dro ft. Gucci Mane & T.I. – Freeze Me
Young Jeezy – Bottom of the Map
Young MC – Bust a Move
The Young Rascals – Good Lovin’
Young T ft. Treal Lee – Work Dat Lumba
Z
Zapp – Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark formed in 1978 and lasted in various incarnations until 1996. Part of the synth-pop new wave, OMD’s early songs “Electricity” and “Enola Gay” were guaranteed to fill the dance floor at New Wave dance emporiums. The height of the band’s popularity was in the early 80’s.
After a ten-year absence OMD reformed in 2006 with the original classic line-up: the two principles– Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys–plus Malcolm Holmes and Martin Cooper. And now Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark has just released History of Modern, their first album in fourteen years!
The band is offering a free download of the demo for the song “Sister Marie Says” on their website. Not included on the album is OMD’s cool cover of a song by The xx (this year’s Mercury Prize winner). “VCR” is the Song of the Day.
The Beatles may finally be available on iTunes, but it is really anything more than repackaging? Everything by The Beatles has been available for years, merely in different formats.
Of greater interest is the new music being produced, and in this case I thought an offspring of one of The Beatles, Sean Lennon. Like the children of all famous parents, Sean will forever live in the shadow of his father. Comparisons are inevitable and generally unfair, but Sean chose the life of a musician and must navigate these waters.
He has performed as solo artist and as a member of various bands. The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger is his latest incarnation, a collaboration is with his girlfriend, Charlotte Kemp Muhl. Together they have released an album called Acoustic Sessions, from which the charming “Jardin du Luxembourg” is a free download and the Song of the Day.
Photo: Christ Devos
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“Jardin Du Luxembourg” by The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger
Cee Lo Green, the man can sing! The vocal half of Gnarls Barkley and a solo artist in his own right, his song “Fuck You” was a viral hit in the late summer. Within one week of its release, this song of a poor jilted lover was ubiquitous, the lyrics changed to “Forget You” for radio play. It’s included now on his new album The Lady Killer. Not on the album is his soulful version of the Kings of Leon song “Radioactive”. The song takes on new meaning when sung by Cee Lo. It’s free and is the Song of the Day.
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“Radioactive” by Cee Lo Green
Rick Berlin is a journeyman musician. He’s been doing it a long time. He’s experienced the highs and the lows of the music business, particularly the latter. He has plumbed the depths. He’s been hyped, glad-handed, ripped-off, dropped, lied to, sued and abused. He has had moments in the limelight with his early band Orchestra Luna, major-label notoriety, tours with well-known bands and radio airplay. But he has also been forced to regroup, change names, and perform surreptitiously. He’s fronted a variety of bands including Luna, Berlin Airlift, Rick Berlin: The Movie, and the Shelly Winters Project. He now performs solo under his own name.
Rick Berlin is an artist. In spite of all of his trials and tribulations, he continues to create. It would be easy to become disillusioned, but an artist cannot give-up. In the music business, many are called and so few are chosen. But the true musicians persevere. In Rick’s case he must perform and write songs. His day job keeps him afloat, but his soul is alive in his music.
Rick Berlin is a treasure as are all artists who give us new worldviews and experiences. No doubt he would do it differently if he could do it all over again, but he would never trade it in for a world outside of music. Artists like Rick give meaning to our lives and we are blessed that they give so much of themselves.
His new album is entitled Paper Airplane. The characters in his songs can only come from someone who has lived a life and has seen it all, or at least most of it. In this free download from the album, he humourously makes fun of himself and the music industry without a hint of bitterness. Yes, a true artist.
[download no longer available]
“If I Wasn’t Such a Bum” by Rick Berlin
Porcelain Raft is Mauro Remiddi, born in Rome, living in London. He uses his guitar, samples, loops and keyboards to create this dreamy drifting pop. I love the way he pronounces “Tip”. He’s a new artist defining his own sound with a free download of his new single “Tip of Your Tongue”, from his Gone Blind EP.
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“Tip of Your Tongue” by Porcelain Raft
Corin Tucker is one of the original Riot Grrrls and the distinctive vocalist of the band Sleater-Kinney. Together for eleven years, the group began a self-imposed hiatus in 2006 with Tucker concentrating on her growing family. In early 2009 she was asked to perform at a few benefit shows. The reception was so enthusiastic that she was inspired to record some newly written songs. Now she has emerged as a solo artist with The Corin Tucker Band. This powerful feminist voice that we have sorely missed has returned with the album 1,000 Years on the Kill Rock Stars label. “Doubt” is a free download and is the Song of the Day.
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Portland, Oregon darlings The Decemberists have a new album due in January of next year. We’ve been told that some of The King Is Dead is R.E.M. inspired and no doubt you will hear a bit of this influence in “Down By the Water”, a free download from the album. And none other than R.E.M. guitarist, Peter Buck, makes an appearance on this track as does singer/songwriter Gillian Welch. The Decemberists’ repertoire of lush story-telling, folk-rock instrumentations and melodic lyricism continues to reaffirm that they are one of America’s most vital bands.
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“Down By the Water” by The Decemberists
It’s been a couple of years since we last heard from Cold War Kids, the quartet out of southern California. The new album, Mine is Yours, due in later January, marks a new-found maturity of sound. Two songs have been floating around the net as free downloads. “Royal Blue” can be downloaded here. “Louder Than Ever” here and is the Song of the Day.
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“Louder Than Ever” by Cold War Kids
