adem-love and other planets[2006]

we saw adem in march of this year when he opened for badly drawn boy in salt lake city. he played alone, well i shouldn't say alone, he played with no band. he probably used six different instruments in his 30 minute set. quite impressive. this is his most recent album having come out in spring of 2006. this album is for fans of badly drawn boy, elliott smith, nick drake, etc. check out the songs, "you and moon", "launch yourself", and "something's gonna come".

1. warning call
2. something's going to come
3. x is for kisses
4. launch yourself
5. love and other planets
6. crashlander
7. sea of tranquility
8. you and moon
9. last transmission from the lost mission
10. these lights are meaningful
11. spirals
12. human beings gather round

songs of "the office"

over the past little while i have taken some time to compile a list of songs featured on the office. i went ahead and organized them into a nifty (NIFTY! GIFTY!) little album of 31 songs. i preceded almost every original song with a clip from the actual show. hope this all makes sense. anyway, some of these are actually pretty hilarious. obviously i didn't include ALL of the songs that have been heard on the show but i picked ones that i have a hilarious association with in my mind. i'll try to go into a little more detail here:

1. the office theme
2. teach your children (michael and dwight). this is seen in the "bring your daughter to work" episode. michael and dwight sing it at the end and it makes me laugh evertime i hear it. oddly enought the song was written by graham nash, a previous post of mine.
3. teach your children - crosby, stills, nash and young
4. i don't wanna buy it, i just wanna taste it (michael and dwight). this is one of my favorite scenes in any office episode. EVERY time i hear this song i picture michael clicking the itunes preview-version of the song with that pathetic look on his face saying, "i just wanna taste it". hilarious.
5. goodbye my lover - james blunt
6. ryan started the fire (dwight and michael)
7. we didn't start the fire - billy joel
8. the gambler (kevin and cast). from "beach jobs" everyone sings it on the bus...listen for michael, it's awesome.
9. the gambler - kenny rogers
10. rainbow connection (andy). he actually says "ainbowray onnectioncay"!!!!!
11. rainbow connection - kermit the frog
12. closer to fine (andy and jim). their drunk and singing this song. it's not on the clip but its awesome when andy screams "tuna! are you kidding me?"
13. closer to fine - the indigo girls
14. your body is a wonderland (michael and andy). NO JOKE, NBC contacted mayer to ask him if they could use his song and he said he would allow it in exchange for a dundie.
15. your body is a wonderland - john mayer
16. flinstones theme song (cast)
17. dwight getting pumped up for performance review (dwight)
18. wild side - motley crue
19. creed singing karaoke (creed). ok THIS IS COOL, this song is actually a song creed wrote for his solo album called "the 80's". so he is actually singing karaoke to his own song. for those of you who don't know, creed bratton in real life was the lead guitarist for the band "the grassroots"
20. spinnin' n' reelin' - creed bratton
21. zombie (andy)
22. zombie - the crandberries
23. drift away (andy). radadada!
24. drift away - dobie gray
25. the lion sleeps tonight (jim and andy). pardon the fact that jim is tone deaf.
26. the lion sleeps tonight - the tokens
27. lovefool (jim, karen, andy)
28. lovefool - the cardigans
29. rockin robin (andy). recorded it on my computer last night, all four parts. took me forever!
30. rockin robin - bobby day
31. everybody hurts - R.E.M.

neil young-harvest[1972]

along with my previous graham nash post i decided to throw back a couple of years and post a couple of albums that inspired a lot of the great music we have today. here's another great example of an artist who has insipired many bands of today. this was the best selling album of 1972 and had two fantastic singles including the #1 hit "heart of gold". this album is definately a must for music fans. also check out "old man" and "are you ready for the country".

1. out on the weekend.
2. harvest
3. a man needs a maid
4. heart of gold
5. are you ready for the country
6. old man(w/ james taylor)
7. there's a world
8. alabama
9. the needle and the damage done
10. words(between the lines of age)

ed harcourt-the beautiful lie[2006]

this album is incredibly difficult to categorize, if not impossible. ed harcourt is an amazing songwriter and his music spans many different genres and time periods. this album is something else. ed's primary instrument is the piano and he occasionaly plays guitar and drums but the center piece for most of his music is piano. i really can't say much about him from the surface with out readers having some background in his music. so check this album out and we'll talk more about it later. great songs are "until tomorrow then" (which sounds like something your grandma, maybe great-grandma, probably listened to on her first date in 1928), "rain on the pretty ones", "whirlwind in d minor", and "i am the drug".

1. whirlwind in d-minor
2. visit from the dead dog
3. you only call me when you're drunk
4. last cigarette
5. shadowboxing
6. late night partner
7. (missing for some reason)??? sorry....
8. until tomorrow then
9. scatterbraine
10. rain on the pretty ones
11. pristine claw
12. i am the drug
13. braille
14. good friends are hard to find

travis-best of covers and b-sides

a long search finally ended yesterday when i found a travis track i have searching for since the 7th of may. it is the song "say hello" a bonus track to "the boy with no name" only offered with a uk itunes download on the day of release. needless to say i was pretty stoked. this led me to go through the rest of my travis b-sides and covers and pick out some of my favorites for you. i'm pretty proud of this compilation. check out "river (joni mitchell)", "ring out the bell", "pulling mussels from a shell (squeeze)", and "say hello". if you get confused and think for a second that this doesn't sound like travis that's because a couple of these songs are sung by dougie payne, the bassist for the band. also, for those of you who are die-hard travis fans, i uploaded all of their singles (completely organized by year and cd number) up to selfish jean (i haven't been able to get my hands on "my eyes" yet) but its about 500mb so if you want it, it may take a few minutes.

1. killer queen (queen cover)
2. say hello (tbwnn bonus track)
3. the weight (the band cover)
4. lovely rita (beatles cover)
5. river (joni mitchell cover)
6. ring out the bell
7. i forget my name
8. baby one more time (britney spears cover)
9. pulling mussels from a shell (squeeze cover)
10. be my baby (whigfield cover)
11. bring me round
12. coming around
13. here comes the sun (beatles cover)
14. mother
15. 20
    

graham nash - wild tales [1973]

graham nash is more famously known for his work with the band crosby, stills, and nash (and sometimes young). it wasn't until about six months ago that i first heard some of his solo work. this, in my opinion, is the pinnacle of his work. he was a british pop star in the band "the hollies" even before this (you've all heard "bus stop" even if you don't know it). travis covered the song "another sleep song" once when they played at KCRW and once with nash at a concert, it is a MUST have. also check out "hey you", "prison song", and "oh! camil".

1. wild tales
2. hey you (lookin' at the moon)
3. prison song
4. you'll never be the same
5. and so it goes
6. grave concern
7. oh! camil (the winter soldier)
8. i miss you
9. on the line
10. another sleep song

great albums front to back

in a previous post i mentioned that i could listen to the remy zero album "villa elaine" from the front to back and not hear a single bad song. here i want to add more albums that i can do that with. i'm interested what others think of these albums and what other albums they would add to the list. please log on to the comments section here and add your ideas and hopefully i'll have the album and add the link to the list. these are in no order and i'm not going to give you suggestions for tracks since the premise of this whole post is that there isn't a bad track on any of these albums. and guys, let stick to original studio albums, not greatest hits or compilations.

COLLECTIVE SOUL-DOSAGE[1999]

1. tremble for my beloved
2. heavy
3. no more, no less
4. needs
5. slow
6. dandy life
7. run
8. generate
9. compliment
10. not the one
11. crown

THE BEATLES-ABBEY ROAD[1969]

1. come together
2. something
3. maxwell's silver hammer
4. oh! darling
5. octopus's garden
6. i want you (she's so heavy)
7. here comes the sun
8. because
9. you never give me your money
10. sun king
11. mean mr. mustard
12. polythene pam
13. she came in through the bathroom window
14. golden slumbers
15. carry that weight
16. the end
17. her majesty

TRAVIS-THE MAN WHO[1999]

1. writing to reach you
2. the fear
3. as you are
4. driftwood
5. last laugh of the laughter
6. turn
7. why does it always rain on me
8. luv
9. she's so strange
10. slideshow

RADIOHEAD-OK COMPUTER[1997]

1. airbag
2. paranoid android
3. subterranean homesick alien
4. exit music(for a film)
5. let down
6. karma police
7. fitter happier
8. electioneering
9. climbing up the walls
10. no surprises
11. lucky
12. the tourist

QUEEN-A NIGHT AT THE OPERA[1975]

1. death on two legs (dedicated to...)
2. lazing on a sunday afternoon
3. i'm in love with my car
4. you're my best friend
5. '39
6. sweet lady
7. seaside rendezvous
8. the prophet's song
9. love of my life
10. good company
11. bohemian rhapsody
12. god save the queen

travis - live at kcrw[2007]

here is travis' 2007 performance at the l.a. based radio station kcrw earlier this year. kcrw has a show called "morning becomed eclectic" hosted by a british music director and host nic harcourt. the show has hosted some of the greatest bands around (i.e. travis, oasis, radiohead, badly drawn boy, etc.) and you can view or hear most of their shows on their website here. travis played a show in l.a. the night before this and before returning to the u.k. stopped at kcrw and played this show. definately worth checking out. there are four songs from the boy with no name and one from each of the other three travis albums. also check out the squeeze cover, "up the junction", you'll like it.

1. intro
2. eyes wide open
3. selfish jean
4. up the junction
5. my eyes
6. interview
7. closer
8. pipe dreams
9. love will come through
10. all i wanna do is rock

badly drawn boy - one + one = one [2004]

this is the fourth, and my favorite, of the albums put out by badly drawn boy. i have seen him live in concert twice and i think he may be one of my top three performers to have seen. the first time i saw him was nov. 02 and he played, with no opener, for about three hours. second time was this march and he did have an opener but still played for over two hours. damon gough is the man behind badly drawn boy. damon was best friends with the late (great) elliott smith and he and elliott actually decided together that they would record every instrument on their albums. damon does all of them expect brass and flute. songs to check out include: "logic of a friend", "this is that new song", "year of the rat", and "holy grail".

1. one plus one is one
2. easy love
3. summertime in the wintertime
4. this is that new song
5. another devil dies
6. the blossoms
7. year of the rat
8. four leaf clover
9. fewer words
10. logic of a friend
11. stockport
12. life turned upside down
13. takes the glory
14. holy grail
15. don't ask me i'm only the president
16. plan b

tay zonday-chocolate rain

wow! this is the sweetest thing i've ever seen....don't blame me if you can't stop singing it for three days. LOL!

remy zero-villa elaine [1998]

i post this album simply because it is one of the albums that few people probably have but no one should live without. remy zero had a short stint of only three albums and then they broke up. this is their second album and by far the best of the three. you may recognize one of their songs, "save me" as the theme for the wb series smallville. save me comes from their 2001 album "the golden hum". on a list of albums i can listen to from front to back and enjoy every track this is up there with abbey road, the man who, dosage, and so forth....all songs on this album are amazing but check out "fair"<-----A MUST!!!!!! "gramarye" and "problem". p.s. there was a rumor end of last year that these guys may be recording again soon....unconfirmed....

1. hermes bird
2. prophecy
3. life in rain
4. hollow
5. problem
6. whither vulcan
7. gramarye
8. yellow light
9. motorcycle
10. fair
11. goodbye little world

iron and wine-the shepherd's dog [2007]

this is the newest album from singer/songwriter iron and wine. it comes out on september 25. my favorite work iron and wine has done is a collaberation album with the arizona band named after the california city, calexico, called "in the reigns". i feel like iron and wine's newest album is more similar to that album and less like albums of the past. if you like acoustic guitars and soft melodies, this is the singer for you. but don't take my word for it! (reading rainbow reference, precious). my favorite songs are "white tooth man", "boy with a coin", and "pagan angel and a borrowed car".

1. pagan angel and a borrowed car
2. white tooth man
3. lovesong of the buzzard
4. carousel
5. house by the sea
6. innocent bones
7. wolves (song of the shepherd's dog)
8. resurrection fern
9. boy with a coin
10. the devil never sleeps
11. peace beneath the city
12. flightless bird, american mouth

tom mcrae-king of cards [2007]

one of the most potent voices i have ever heard, tom mcrae, came out with his fourth studio album back in may of this year. his three albums prior to this have some of my favorite songs ever. king of cards is a much different approach to music for tom. while the first three albums have many more dark and depressing songs, this album has far more happy and upbeat songs (i.e. bright lights). he wrote the album while living in new york in an apartment with many windows and was taking anti-depressant pills at the time. after the album came out he assured us that he has since stopped taking pills and his new songs are back to the old depressing ways. my favorites are "one mississippi", "bright lights", and "keep your picture clear". if you like the sound of the song "got a suitcase, got regrets" you may enjoy his previous albums....let me know and i'll get them to you.

1. set the story straight
2. bright lights
3. got a suitcase, got regrets
4. keep your picture clear
5. houdini and the girl
6. sound of the city
7. on and on
8. deliver me
9. one mississippi
10. the ballad of amelia earhart
11. lord, how long
12. houdini and the girl (demo version)

john vanderslice - pixel revolt [2005]

i first got this album during early spring of 2006. i had never heard of vanderslice but some friends introduced me and now i couldn't be more grateful. john is a 40 year old man who can really put on a rock show. i saw him last april at kilby court in slc. haha...i love kilby court. there were maybe 50 or 60 people there and we loved it. the album has sort of a political feel to it and some of the songs were directly influenced by 9/11 (i.e. exodus damage). my favorite tracks (these may differ from many vanderslice fans) are "dear sarah shu", "trance manual" and "exodus damage". vanderslice's album right before this one-cellar door-has some great licks as well. "cellar door" is said to be one of the most beautiful phrases in the english language (tolkien). let me know in the comments section what you think of this one and maybe i'll throw up one or two of his other albums (he had one just come out in july).

1. letter to the east coast
2. plymouth rock
3. exodus damage
4. peacocks in the video rain
5. trance manual
6. new zealand pines
7. radiant with terror
8. continuation
9. dear sarah shu
10. farewell transmission
11. angela
12. dead slate pacific
13. the golden gate
14. crc7173, affectionately
15. the kingdom
    

travis-the boy with no name [2007]

this album is a given. maybe my favorite band of all time and this album shows exactly why. not the most talented band around but their music is so catchy and happy. in the past some have called them a cheap knock-off of radiohead or oasis but those comparisons are simply not true. they have a style all their own and i think this album shows it better than any other. neither radiohead nor oasis (both of which i REALLY enjoy) have a song that sounds anything like "selfish jean". THIS IS THE BEST ALBUM OF 2007 so far. i gave my brother-in-law this album and a couple weeks later when i saw him he said(and i agree), "there isn't a single bad song on the whole album". my personal favorites are: "my eyes", "under the moonlight (w/ kt tunstall), and "battleships".

1. 3 times and you lose
2. selfish jean
3. closer
4. big chair
5. battleships
6. eyes wide open
7. my eyes
8. one night
9. under the moonlight
10. out in space
11. colder
12. new amsterdam
13. sailing away
14. perfect heaven space

kent - hagnesta hill [1999]

heard this album for the first time only about a month ago. i don't have a clue why it took me that long to find it. kent is a swedish band and almost all of their albums are in swedish. they made two albums in english to try and get an international following but no one(myself included) heard them so they gave up. now they make music only in swedish. not often do i listen to an album and thoroughly ENJOY IT THE FIRST TIME THRU but this one i did. it has some great riffs and electronic sounds but still has a great pump to it. definately check this one out.

spoon - ga ga ga ga ga [2007]

this is a band i am pretty unfamiliar with. i got one of their albums a while ago from a friend but haven't taken the time to check them out. i saw this album a week or so ago and finally decided i would look into them a little bit more. listened all the way through while i was mowing the lawn and still a little bit unsure of the album as whole but i LOVE the song "the underdog". that song alone is worth the download. it reminds me of something billy joel should have done twenty years ago.

rilo kiley - under the blacklight [2007]

some of you may have heard of rilo kiley. there lead singer is jenny lewis who is also part of ben gibbard's postal service. you also may know her as one of the girls from the movie "troop beverly hills"....though you may be more ashamed to admit the latter. nonetheless, this is a really good album. i really like the songs, "silver lining", "under the blacklight", and "give a little love". i haven't liked the past rilo kiley albums near as much as this one....maybe ben taught her a little something.

sgt. peppers 40th anniversary

2007 is the 40th anniversary of what rolling stone dubbed the the number one album of all time(check out the list here). this is a great compilation album that has many different great singers covering songs from that album. most of them did a pretty good job.

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – Bryan Adams

2. With A Little Help From My Friends – Razorlight
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Athlete
4. Getting Better – Kaiser Chiefs
5. Fixing A Hole – The Fray
6. She’s Leaving Home – The Magic Numbers
7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite - Jamie Cullum
8. Within You Without You - Oasis
9. When I'm Sixty Four - Russell Brand
10. Lovely Rita – Travis
11. Good Morning Good Morning - The Zutons
12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) – Stereophonics
13. A Day in the Life - Pete Dohertyand Carl Barât

athlete - beyond the neighbourhood [2007]

here's the newest album from one of my favorite bands, athlete. it came out officially on sept. 3. i saw this band in jan. 06 at sundance in park city. they played only six songs (disappointing, i know) but it was awesome. this album has a lot of great new tracks and has a slightly harder edge as whole. check out the songs, "hurricane", "the outsiders", and "best not to think about it".

feist - the reminder [2007]

this is one of the albums i have been listening to quite often as of late. check out the songs: "sea lion woman", "past in present" and "one two three four". great tunes.

first post

this is the first post for my new blog site, bad news and tunes. the name comes from a song by the band travis called, "in the church" which is a hiden track on the album 12 memories. i think the name will fit better as we go along. keep checking my blog site for new albums, artist, and songs. i'll update as often as possible and keep throwing great new music out. also, if you have any requests for song, albums, or artists, just drop me a line and i'll post some up here for you to access.