...And Now For Something Completely Different:

A man sitting on a Flamingo, dressed as a Crested Grebe. The Flamingo, Emily, didn't like that at all, so she pecked and pecked and pecked at the Grebe. She pecked so vigorously, that she turned straight away into a pincushion. Have you ever seen such a nice, soft, large pincushion as the one you just imagined? Doubt it.

Tomorrow, Ponchie the bear sat on his favorite stump, and considered his small life. He thought that Captain Janeway was a good captain, as StarFleet captains go, but she was never as tough before or after the time that Macrovirus invaded Voyager.

If you had three hands, which is your best?

Enjoy some music. Life's weird, Friends.

D-Ling instructions

So, neither Anth or I gave you instructions on how to download/add to your library correctly.

What you download is a folder, that's zipped. If you use Safari, it will automatically unzip it for you. I think Firefox doesn't, and I don't know about any other browsers. Anyway, if you can't just right-click and select "Unzip," then you need a little program that unzips it, which shouldn't be hard to find.

Now that you have your unzipped folder, you need to make a new playlist in your iTunes. You want to drag the folder right in to the playlist, so that it will import in the correct order. If you just drag it in to your main library, or if you use the import command, the songs will import, but they'll be totally random.

That should be it, Friends!

lone

So let us begin. Well first and foremost I send out my deepest apologies with the tardiness of my first post. But alas here it is.

I should start with a statement of how I prepare my playlists. I often set one according to the mood that I have been in as well as what sort of setting has been encompassing me. As of lately that has been a calm mood with late night readings of 300 B.C. philosophers and early Christian church Theologians. Hot licorice tea has been accompany me as well as I struggle through developing my beliefs. I hope that the playlist will help you contemplate.

Please enjoy.

Track One: Blue Skies: Noah and the Whale
My favorite track off of Noah and the Whale’s new album The First Days of Spring. Recently released on Cherrytree Records (US) and Vertigo Records (UK).

Track Two: Heart Skipped A Beat: The XX
A new band from UK, the XX are a powerful luscious band that found a new beauty in simplicity. They band met while attending London’s Elliott School which also boasts of the grounds in which bands such as Hot Chip, and Four Tet were created.

Track Three: Pale Blue Eyes (Closet Mix): The Velvet Underground
A classic band that I have recently discovered, The Velvet Underground’s Pale Blue Eyes may be one of the prettiest songs I have heard in a long while. The song is featured on the band’s 1969 self-titled album. The Album was produced by the band and featured two different mixes the first by the band engineer, Val Valentin. The second mix by Lou Reed the bands front man. Sterling Morrison thought that Reed’s Mix sounded like the band was playing in a closet, hence the term closet mix.

Track Four: Our Way to Fall: Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo was first started in the the mid 1980’s and was a pioneer in the “lo-fi” sound the band is known for. This track is taken from their 2000 release And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out.

Track Five: Options (Solo Electric): David Bazan
Track five was a late addition to the list. It was originally on the Album Options from Bazan’s original project Pedro The Lion. The track featured in this list is actually taken from David Bazan’s mildly new DVD release Alone at the Mic.

Track Six: Sweedeedee: Cat Power (Cover of Michel Hurley)
The original version of this song is done by a Mr. Michael Hurley a singer songwriter, who first began recording in 1965. Charlyn Marie Marshall (Cat Power) covered this song on her 2000 release The Covers Record.

Track Six: The Book of Love: The Magnetic Fields
The Book of Love hales from the bands epic album 69 love songs. The album was recorded and released in 1999. It was a three volume concept album, primary composed by legendary songwriter Stephin Merritt. His other projects include: Future Bible Heros, The Gothic, and the 6th.

Track Seven:
Anther lovely song off of The Velvet Underground’s 1969 self-titled release. Also the Closet Mix. Please enjoy.

Track Eight: Still: Volcano Choir
Volcano Choir is a new project coming from Justin Vermon, the man behind 2007 break out band Bon Iver, and the band Collection of Colonies of Bees. The group had began collaborating on songs in early 2005 but never recorded anything until 2008. Bon Iver is currently working on the follow up to For Emma, Forever Ago.

Track Nine: We’re Computerizing and We Just Don’t Need You Anymore: American Analog Set.
This is truly one of my favorite bands. Lead by the lusious vocals of Andrew Kenny, this will truly make your heart melt, well maybe. This is taken from the bands 2001 release Know By Heart. If you are a fan of this I recommend the solo EP he did with Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab For Cuttie and The Postal Service), along with his new band The Wooden Birds.

Track Ten: Inside + Out: Feist
Here is a rare track that took me a little while to dig up. Taken from a live recording Feist did at the BBC, it is a cover of the band Apostle of Hustle. Please also see the work that she does with Broken Social Scene and their Self-Titled release.

Track Eleven: Tears Are in Your Eyes (Yo La Tengo): The Antlers
Here is a small cover song of one of the greatest break out bands this year: The Antlers. Coming from Brooklyn New York, The Antlers put out an album Hotspice early this year which all should own. In 2008 they released a small EP titled New York Hospitals featuring covers of The Magnetic Fields, To La Tengo (featured here), and one original.

Track twelve: Nowhere Near: Yo La Tengo
Here we again feature a song by the band Yo La Tengo this time coming from the 1993 release Painful. This album was a great shift in the bands creative forces they now were working on creating a much lighter ambient feel.

Track thirteen: Stars: The XX
Nearing the end of the playlist we come to another song from the band The XX. Featuring wonderful male female vocal harmonies, and creative and simplistic distances that kind of leaves you breathless. Please, please check them out this is easily in my Top Five releases of 2009.

Track Fourteen: My Broken Heart: Noah and the Whale
Another song taken from the New Noah and the Whale album. I like to think of this song as the encore of the playlist. Feeling a little empty with The XX’s Stars here is a song to hopefully fill you up a little bit.