Night Windows

A binding disclaimer from John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats regarding the unreleased "From TG&Y", recently made available on the band's forums:

DEAR JOHN D., I want a copy of the version of "From TG&Y" (which you have also called "For TG&Y" at various points, omg which one is correct) that you and Peter recorded at Electrical with John Congleton last fall. I understand that by accepting this file, I agree not to be El Gran Senor Intenet Douchebag, saying on various forums or lj comments threads how this song ought to have been on the next album instead of whatever other song I have blindfoldedly singled out, it being quite clear that this song's theme is rather more in line with the Sunset Tree. I understand that you would not be the guy to just shove a Sunset Tree style song onto another album, since that would be so lame. I agree that the terms of this agreement are reasonable and awesome, and that they apply to me whether I grabbed the song directly from these forums or from some other source, and hereby state that I agree to them whether I have read them or not. Yours most sincerely [Brian]

Try it:

The Mountain Goats - From TG&Y [m4a]

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The Weakerthans' Reunion Tour comes out tomorrow, and I'm wracked with anticipation. Their catalog has only grown on me since I picked up Fallow all those years ago, and already the new single "Night Windows" has become my most played song recently.

The Weakerthans - Night Windows [mp3]

buy Reunion Tour.

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So Much Silence has another National radio session to add to your collection! Featuring "You've Done it Again, Virginia".

Our Age

There have been a few interesting pieces on LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends", surely one of the year's best songs, but Mark Richardson's Resonant Frequency plays a slightly different angle. It examines John Cale's version, found on the All My Friends single, as a mature and telling counterpoint to most of today's new music. Looks like I hadn't given Cale enough credit, as listening to the song now I am much more affected.

John Cale - All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem cover) [mp3]

buy All My Friends-- also featuring Franz Ferdinand's rendition-- here.

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Clear Tigers came yesterday from Catbird! Terrific!

Aaahdaadaadaadaadaa

Kanye's Graduation is the first of his albums which I can listen to front-to-back, its 52-minute running time seeming more like a half-hour. Let's all be thankful for the absence of skits. All this considered, I've listened to it many times since Tuesday, and it's even better than I expected. Still, I think Kevin was right about West's ...unique style. Hit or miss I guess.


I don't know if everyone caught the A-Trak remix of "Stronger" at Pitchfork the other week, but it's got the perfect Daft Punk:Kanye ratio. I had my reservations about the album version of "Stronger", though I admit it's grown on me.

Kanye West - Stronger (A-Trak Remix) [mp3]

Also: Tom Breihan's 10 favorite Graduation scenes.

Rope/Tether

Ha-- iTunes just went from one of the sweetest songs I'd never heard to one of the nastiest songs I'd never heard. The former, Camera Obscura's lovely radio take on Sonny & Cher's "Baby Don't Go", even comes with a giggle at the end. The latter is the Blakes' "Two Times", a distressed wreck of a song. That word-- distressed-- sounds like designer jeans, but this isn't designer jeans.

Camera Obscura - Baby Don't Go [mp3]

The Blakes - Two Times [mp3]

buy The Blakes from Light in the Attic. It's new.

Attacks

I used to put the behemoth Clavinova in the trunk and drive to my friend's garage room, unload and play made-up, looping lines for them to rap over. You know, like Themselves or Sole-- old and weird Anticon stuff. I tell you this because Prarie Cat's "Better Friends than Lovers" has a keyboard line uncannily like one I would play, my favorite one, which was loungy and goofy but undeniably cool. Cary Pratt (get it?) plays piano better than I do, and doesn't go the bizarro-rap route with it, but when I listen I can't help but recall crab scratching, no lights, the faint smell of paint.

Prairie Cat - Better Friends than Lovers [mp3]

The lovingly hand-painted Attacks! is shipping now at Catbird. Mine is green.

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This song found its way into Shuffle Songs last night, and I let it put me to bed.

God's house is a house of rest, after double shifts

I don't know where it came from, or who the Sheds are, but it's fantastic.

The Sheds - All You Need [mp3]

Looks like you can download Dad Communication, in full, at the Sheds' website.