I did a post a while back on Ray LaMontagne's upcoming album and tour dates. I asked his people to send a sample from the new album. Well, they sent one over and it is beauteous! A warning to the anti-horn contingent, however, this song is horn heavy...and fantastic. His deep, smooth velvet-y voice mixes nicely with those horns to create a party of a song. I can see this in rotation at many a wedding or played in rom-coms for years to come. He's a modern-day Van Morrison. Err, even though... Read Full Story

I love when a collegial atmosphere is created amongst music enthusiasts that breeds sharing and the open exchange of ideas. Its like all the good parts of socialism without all those pesky Anarcho-syndicalists!  I might have that wrong. Anyway, a comfortable free love atmosphere has been created by Three Imaginary Girls, who have asked their readers to talk about what is currently on their playlists. Below are a few of their choices.Up top is the superb video for B.L.O.S.S.O.M. by Komeda... Read Full Story

-Right-o. If he's wise he'll never do light comedy. Stick to the serious stuff, kid.-I've got a bit of a thing for lamps, pendant lamps in particular. In last month's In Style magazine there's an article about one you can get from Ikea that's basically a clear bucket that you can fill with whatever you want to match your decor. They suggest "red gumballs."  Being the eternally fretting Doubting Thomasina that I am, I was like "Well what's going to keep the gumballs from melting all over... Read Full Story

Pop Time! There's a fun and rowdy discussion going on over at Oh No They Didn't about the best song of Summer 2008, now that we are nearing the end of the summer. Here are some of their suggestions if Koty Porry's megahit aint doin' it for ya..Rihanna: Disturbia.mp3Metro Station: Shake It.mp3Mario featuring Busta Rhymes: Music For Love.mp3Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris and Chrome: Dance Wiv Me.mp3The Dandy Warhols: The World The People Together (Come On).mp3Metric: Hardwire... Read Full Story

More mailbox bidness. I'm posting this video by Seattle's Feral Children because at first I thought the guy in the suit was Skinny (the best kind!) Ryan Gosling. Its not really. Still the video is interesting. But let's go with my first thought and pretend the video is about PseudoRyanGosling shooting the band with pens in frustration over his break-up with PseudoRachel McAdams in some weird PseudoUniverse. Do give the band a listen, they're pretty Battles-like in their intensity and drumming... Read Full Story

Hey, speaking of Tom Cruise, this is verbatim from the mailbox if anyone is interested and in the area. I've seen Jello Biafra speak and he is quite compelling. Rage and Flobots will be there, too: Seattle's Blue Scholars and Common Market are headed to Denver during the DNC,  joining other groups like Rage Against the Machine and Flobots, to take part in the historic progressive demonstrations during the Democratic National Convention. All the info is below (More shows will be announced... Read Full Story

-God Netflix has been all screwy lately. First there's a delay in shipping, then a flurry of emails apologizing and promising that they'll refund me my money, then emails that movies are arriving that are already here. Stop acting like my flaky good for nothing college boyfriend, Netflix!-I was browsing through some "See How They Look Now!" gallery (Seriously, why do I do that? They snag me in every time.) and there were pics of Paul Hogan aka Crocodile Dundee then vs now. And I could've... Read Full Story

Sunny Day Sets Fire's album Summer Palace is out now and they are featured on the soundtrack of the documentary American Teen which is also out in theatres, umm, now. The time is now! This is sinister and great: Sunny Day Sets Fire: Wilderness (CSS Remix).mp3Jem (pictured above) was featured on the Sex and the City Soundtrack.  Her album Down To Earth comes out Sept.16th and she make flyaway hair look guud. Jem: On Top of the World.mp3Cee-Knowledge aka "Doodlebug" of Digable Planets has... Read Full Story

..how many action movie dialogue cliches can we fit into 2:31 minutes?? Ugh. Don't get me wrong, I'm still gonna go see it because I liked (parts of) the original. They took out all the camp! What's wrong with a little camp?Joan Allen and Laura Kightlinger could play mother and daughter.Hey, its the kid from Kate and Allie. He looks exactly the same only bigger. I know I'm always talking about Eddie Murphy, its become compulsive and I don't know why I mention him at least once a month. Still... Read Full Story

Been cruising and sniffing 'round XLR8R a lot lately. They've become one of my favorite stops for news and they also have a bountiful download feed. Came across this song by Akiko Kiyama, above. She's darling.) Its only in the past year or so that I've come to able to appreciate the instrumental, and 'specially the seemingly monotonous techno kind. There is feeling in it though, and you can hear it in her songs. Kiyama :" reportedly pulled herself out of a severe emotional slump by learning... Read Full Story