Song of the Weekend

Hope you enjoy your long weekend as much as these royal dudes from the East Coast. Hit the beach. Grab some In-N-Out. Beat down a surfer. Whatever. Just make sure you spend some time thanking our men and women that have made this fun possible.

Hunger Strike

Rip recently caught Pearl Jam at the Garden. The Black Keys opened. But he was really bummed that he missed Band of Horses opening the following night. Hate to break it to you, brother, but Eddie Vedder and Ben Bridwell filled up the arena with "Hunger Strike," the rarely-sung-live Temple of the Dog classic. Vedder sounds in-the-pocket as always in this excellent fan footage. And Bridwell hits Chris Cornell's high notes with aplomb. Notice how the easy-going South Carolinan is uncomfortable singing slaves. Damn, he is talented, cool, and nice.

Song of the Week

Check out this epic, in-the-zeitgeist, post-dancerock track from LCD Soundsystem's new release, This Is Happening. James Murphy sings "You wanted a hit / but maybe we don't do hits." Ummmmm, right. If you heard this song while entering a record store, you would not make it out alive--like entering into the hippest wormhole in the time-space continuum, the vortex keeps spinning around until you succumb to the outer reaches of coolness. You wanted a hit? Baby, you just got something bigger.

Five Things

Heading for the weekend. Life is good. Still like music too.

• With twenty-four contestants left, The D Man predicted that Lee Dewyze and Casey James would be the last two men standing in American Idol. Easy peasy. Lee Dewyze, a naturally-gifted vocalist and former paint sales clerk from Chicago, should now win the entire thing.
• Best hair metal song of the moment: "Last Summer's Evil" by TNT. !!!!!!!!!!
• Janelle Monae's "Tightrope" (featuring Big Boi) is some Outkastic funk.
• Band of Horses hits the sweet spot everytime. Check out an electric version or chilled-out acoustic version of "Laredo."
• "Empire Ants" from Plastic Beach is an incredible track straddling two seemingly disparate soundscapes. Damon Albarn's production values are vivid.

Song of the Week

Get up close and personal with the Brood King on The National's new video for "Bloodbuzz Ohio." Matt Berninger's narrow baritone takes flight with (a swarm of bees and) an exquisite rock'n'roll arrangement that lesser mortals scarce can comprehend.

The National

After The National's performance last night on Letterman, The D Man can confidently proclaim that, right this very minute, there is not a better band on the planet. And who provides those ethereal backing vocals on "Afraid of Everyone," both last night and on the album version? None other than long-time friend Sufjan Stevens. Go pick up High Violet today, now out in your local record store and even on sale for $7.99 at Target. Probably the best bang for your musical buck since you pilfered In Rainbows.

Five Things to Remember While The D Man Is In Trial

The D Man is going all Matlock for the next two weeks. (Here is hoping that my lucid arguments do not get overruled). So while The D Man is out seeking justice in a venerable courtroom of this great state, his loyal cadre of readers should remember the following five things:

• Some (potentially) great albums come out in May: Broken Social Scene, The Hold Steady, The Dead Weather, The National, Band of Horses, and LCD Soundsystem will be hitting a record store near you. Even Crash Test Dummies drop a new album called Oooh LaLa! Who knows, right?
• May is a great time to listen to the following songs: "Street Lights" by Josh Rouse, "Sometimes Life Isn't Easy" by Mew, and "Pushover" by The Long Winters. Just saying.
• If you haven't fallen in love with Teen Dream, well, there is not much that The D Man can do for you.
• Sun Kil Moon is releasing its fourth full-length, Admiral Fell Promises, on July 13th. Buy the record straight from Caldo Verde Records and get the four song I'll Be There EP.
• Did The D Man mention that The National is releasing an album? Check out a live performance of "Terrible Love" called The Castle Rock Session here.

Song of the Week

Band of Horses are on the run again in "NW Apt." The song's straightforward, guitar-chugging goodness will propel you down the street and make you smile at well-placed choruses and simple chord progressions. Check out Infinite Arms when it hits record stores this May.

NW Apt.

Band Of Horses | MySpace Music Videos

The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady drops Heaven is Whenever next week. "Hurricane J" hits the Minnesota band's sweet spot. Stark the Vinyl Shark jumping with a cold one right now.

Song of the Week

The Tallest Man on Earth (aka Kristian Matsson from Sweden, not Barcelona) just released sophomore album, The Wild Hunt. The troubadour's voice lends himself to comparison's with Bob Dylan and his spare production is a folk-revival of sorts, although his songs are decidedly forward-looking in their ultimate tone. "King of Spain" is an excellent example of Matsson's vibrant finger-picking and vocal agility.

Five Things

Some random observations from the past couple days.

• "Welcome to the Plastic Beach" is Snoop Dogg's best track since his Nineties heyday. One of several great songs from Gorillaz' excellent new album.
• Drive By Trucker's The Big To Do is another solid collection of ragged country-rock stories.
• Cannot get this song out of my head. Been four months.
• Go is very good.
• The D Man is bummed that he missed Record Store Day on Saturday. Good deals on records. Special releases. Cool kids and posers alike hanging out just to be a part of the scene. But someone has to work and earn the cash to keep the record stores alive in the day and age of digital. So is The D Man's contribution.

Song of the Week

One of The D Man's all-time favorite songs from his early years is "Maneater" by Hall & Oates, the baddest white-soul duo since Lewis and Clark. The groovy bass line and mysterious keys and horns were just about the coolest thing from the early Eighties. Rip recently suggested that The D Man give a listen to The Bird and the Bee's interpretation "of the masters." Like he said, any band who wants to pay tribute to Hall & Oates is cool with me. Indeed.

Jónsi

Jónsi gets all prettied up for his "Go Do" video from his first solo album, Go. Can't blame him. Painting your face and embossing your clothes with feathers will do wonders for your singing career. Or at least it will make you look like a cockatiel. The D Man has written plenty about Sigur Ros and the group's supernatural powers. Jónsi flies into bright realms on his solo effort and embellishes "Go Do" with pop accoutrements galore. Sum total? A joyously original track.

Song of the Week

This Spring is turning into a great time of year for music lovers. With new albums coming out from The National, Broken Social Scene, The Hold Steady, LCD Soundsystem, and Band of Horses, there are plenty of good tunes to go around. The D Man is a big fan of Ben Bridwell and his friends--especially their high-pitched harmonies and accessible swirls of indie guitars. Check out "Compliments" from the band's forthcoming third-album, Infinite Arms, which dabbles in some countrified sonic space.

Five Things

The D Man is willing to share more of his random thoughts with his loyal cadre of readers. So here it goes.

• Vampire Weekend has more rhythm, funk, syncopation, and flow than nine out of every ten rappers. The Columbia-grads put on a great show last week and sounded tight, inspired, and fresh. Check out the new video for "Giving Up the Gun," featuring a few interesting cameos.
• The D Man received this text from his (unnamed) brother, who was attending a concert over the weekend: "Jet rocks!" No, thankfully he was not talking about The Jets, but still: Jet rocks? Maybe Jet rocks for people who watch VH1 every morning and have a ten-album collection that consists of The Eagles Greatest Hits and Yanni: Live at the Acropolis. But for people who love and listen to actual rock music? Original, bona fide rock music? Not so sure. Jet arrived in 2003 attempting to ride the wave of the so-called rock revival led by the likes of The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Hives, and even fellow Aussies The Vines. Unlike their better peers (particularly The Strokes and The White Stripes), Jet opportunistically aped every imaginable band possible (The Stones, AC/DC, Oasis) to become one of the most corporate, vanilla, and inauthentic "rock bands" of the past twenty years. The band would make Joe Jonas blush--this actual review of a Jet record says it all. Indeed, The D Man concurs with critic Nick Sylvester's even less nice review of the band's most popular album to date, Get Born. The very act of writing this hit piece has reminded The D Man that he needs go pick up the new Under Great Northern Lights box set as soon as possible. Relief.
• Still love this song.
• The National's "Bloodbuzz Ohio" from the forthcoming High Violet is stunning. I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees.
• These three songs from Broken Social Scene's much-anticipated album are quite good.

PS22 Chorus

The D Man had a great choir director in high school. When Mr. Keck wanted to cut loose, he rocked out with some American folk songs. But this sensitive pony-tailed guy? He leads his chorus through endearing renditions of Journey, Survivor, and Coldplay.

PS22 Chorus is a fifth-grade choir from Public School 22 in Staten Island, New York. The diverse group of kids has received more than 14 million YouTube hits and been featured with artists such as Tori Amos, Stevie Nicks, and Common. Recently, they were featured on three songs from Passion Pit's fantastic debut album, Manners, including the infectious sing-a-long from "Little Secrets." Check out the chorus doing "Lisztomania" from Phoenix. Thanks to G-Reese via B-Reese for the heads up.

Classic D Man

When "Bizarre Love Triangle" came on the radio the other day, I sang every word. The D Man realized that the song has held up remarkably well, especially considering the last decade's computer-assisted foray (or even obsession) into danceable pop music influenced by the likes of New Order and other Eighties post- new wave purveyors.

The D Man was also reminded of Frente!'s lovely version of the song from 1994. I remember listening to the song on late-night summer drives and thinking Australia's Angie Hart had the most perfect voice in the universe. If you have watched American Idol recently, you do not need to be told that a second-take rarely measures up to the original. But Frente!'s "Bizzare Love Triangle" is worthy of discussion as an authentic interpretation of a fantastic pop song, thanks to Hart's bittersweet restraint and the lilting acoustic line somehow discovered among the bleeping synths of the original.

Song of the Week

It takes an ocean not to break. The National debuted "Terrible Love" on Fallon this week and The D Man is thrilled with the sound of another anthemic breakdown of brooding post-rock and mega-chorus brilliance. The band's fifth album, High Violet, does not hit record stores until May, but The D Man is excited about everything he is seeing and hearing. The album cover takes a decidedly In Rainbows-esque turn to something brighter and more magnanimous than the band's previous (albeit superlative) artwork. And if the band's pulsing energy on display with "Terrible Love" is any indication of the album's thrust, we are in for a treat.

Danny Gokey

The D Man has been a consistent American Idol viewer for the past few years. Yes, a young Bowie or Tweedy is unlikely to grace the stage, but it is still compelling reality television with some seriously talented individuals.

Arguably one of the best human beings to appear on American Idol, Danny Gokey stole the hearts of viewers last year with his story, sincerity, and authenticity. Losing his young wife shortly before appearing on Idol, Gokey inspired listeners, sent up great performances, and eventually finished third behind lesser-voiced Kris Allen and just plain scary Adam Lambert.

His debut album, My Best Days, was just released. Making a wise career decision to go country, Gokey can now sing straightforward songs suited to his big soft-gravel voice--and can even mention the Lord to an understanding audience. (Gokey was a church choir director before Idol). If there is someone worth supporting on country radio, The D Man suggests that you give Mr. Gokey a try. Or you can listen to Lambert and try not to catch something.

Classic D Man

Singer-songwriter Mark Linkous (aka Sparklehorse) passed away this weekend after taking his own life. Massively talented and destined for major stardom after the release of Sparklehorse's first album in 1995, Linkous opened for the likes of R.E.M. and Radiohead. But he instead filtered much of his lush and melodic music through experimentation, ultimately becoming a cult figure beloved by his fans and fellow musicians, including the many artists that he collaborated with such as PJ Harvey, David Lynch, Tom Waits, Daniel Johnston, The Flaming Lips, and most recently Danger Mouse on the just released Dark Night of the Soul.

In 2006, The D Man wrote the following about Sparklehorse's fantastic album, Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain:

Indeed, many of these songs sound as if they were composed in the belly of a mountain, dew-eyed from ages of Van Winkle dreaming and obscured by the depths of the earth. Mark Linkous has been called reclusive, and there is a hermit-like quality to his music that echoes from forest hollows—intimate, unsettled, lonely but cautiously hopeful. And perhaps it is the few streams of hope that bubble up to the surface, through the static, which makes this record so fresh and vital—unlike past efforts, Linkous seems slightly reborn after sleeping for so long.

Unfortunately, Linkous could never escape his constant battle with depression and other demons. Like many gifted artists before him, he will best be remembered through his music. Enjoy The D Man's favorite Linkous moment below. May your shade be sweet.

Song of the Week

Frightened Rabbit is still responsible for one of the best guitar-pop songs of the past few years. And with the band's forthcoming third album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, the guys from Selkirk take center stage among the recent cast of solid Scottish bands such as Camera Obscura, Glasvegas, Idlewild, and of course, Belle & Sebastian. The D Man likes the new single "Swim Until You Can't See Land," even if no bagpipes get wet.

Road Trip

Music is an essential element to any good road trip. Music can enhance your time in the car unlike any other pastime. Mood, location, time of day, weather, and a host of other factors can (and should) determine your personal soundtrack. There is nothing worse than the wrong song at the wrong time. But there is something enjoyable, exciting, and even enriching about listening to the right song on the open highway.

The D Man recently hit the road for San Diego. Seaworld. Legoland. The works. Enjoy my music log on what proved to be a fantastic time. As you will see, The D Man was on his game and hit all the right buttons.

• Monday. Started in the early morning with Beach House's exquisite, hazy Teen Dream. Absolutely perfect. While leaving the Wasatch Front, the late winter clouds hung low, and the Baltimore duo's music extended the clouds right into the car.
• During the bleak winterscapes of central Utah, The D Man went with The xx. The atmospherics could have been sexier except for Mrs. D Man curled up in her velour sweats reading Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. (Note: she cried for the first time at page 57. Yep. Page 57).
• Next: Alligator from The National. High point: "All the Wine" and "Abel" over the snow-riddled summit of Beaver pass.
• After emerging from the Virgin river gorge, The D Man slipped in Rules from The Whitest Boy Alive. No better album for the vast desert on a clear, forward-looking day. Awesome.
• Coming down into Las Vegas, Kanye West's Graduation was on track five.
• Tuesday. While trying to find some breakfast on the streets just off The Strip, we listened to The Very Best. Brilliant selection. The D Man wondered whether anyone would notice. Nope.
• Setting out for California, we listened to Nashville from Josh Rouse. The D Man really loves this album, especially in the springtime. Needed to get those open-hearted vibes going.
• Across Death Valley, had to go with something big, anthemic. Kings of Leon did the trick. Pulled into Barstow while listening to this song.
• Played the Beach Boys as we headed down into the coastal valleys of California. A tradition of sorts, dating back to road trips as a kid. Is there a better soundtrack for the coming surf and sun?
• We hit San Diego at night, which obviously required something smooth, urban, breezy. Ne-Yo. Check. Year of the Gentlemen. Check.
• Wednesday. Animal Collective.
• Thursday. The D Man pulled out a special treat while driving on the Pacific Coast Highway to Legoland. The Outfield. Greatest Hits. A triumph that I will never forget. Awesome drive, awesome day.
• Beach House. Again. Displaying serious versatility, the duo's music transformed into an ethereal accompaniment for the setting sun.
• Friday. We listened to Camera Obscura while driving through the palm-tree lined streets of Coronado. Who knew a Scottish band could be so pitch-perfect on an island?
• Saturday. The return trip is always difficult when it comes to your music selection. That sense of anticipation and excitement is gone. Road trippers need strong songs to carry them home, songs that can retain the trip's excitement or at the very least ruminate on the good times past.
• California rain on a Saturday morning: Begone Dull Care from the Junior Boys. The D Man wondered at this stage whether he is one of the best road trip DJ's of all time. Seriously.
• Enjoyed my first listen to Spoon's Transference.
• Two Suns from Bat for Lashes carried us up and over the cloud-shrouded El Cajon pass. This song was brilliant as we made the ascent.
• In the desert again, we needed something sprawling, open, and somehow American. Wilco's Summerteeth fit the bill. Maybe The D Man's favorite album from Chicago's finest band.
• Eventually slowed things down with Sun Kil Moon's Tiny Cities, one of The D Man's favorite driving albums of all time. More rain. More thinking. The rest of the car was asleep or reading (Little Women is apparently pretty long), so The D Man contemplated big things. Shot to the moon / Read a paperback and I wanna come home / Soon.
• Getting closer to Vegas again, The D Man loosened things up with Passion Pit. The kids woke up and liked what they heard. On the other side of Vegas, we continued the happy pop vibes with Vampire Weekend's Contra and The Very Best (again).
• Hit more rain and snow just before our stop in Cedar City. Beach House. A third time.
• Sunday. The D Man eased things into his final day of driving with The Kings of Convenience. Probably have listened to Declaration of Dependence more than any other album the past few months.
• Neko Case. Ryan Adams. Maxwell. Home.

Song of the Week

The D Man has "Little Secrets" as his ringtone and it is one of the better choices he has made. Why? Because even when obnoxious people call it still makes me feel good about life. Higher and higher and higher.

Check out the new video for "Little Secrets." There is absolutely no reason why Passion Pit shouldn't be selling millions of records. Of course, I suppose the fact that the general populace has sketchy taste in pop music is a problem. Alas.

Classic D Man

If this is not the best ten-minute acoustic song of all time, then there are some spine-tingling verses that deserve a serious explanation. On "Lost Verses," Mark Kozelek shapes the sentimental into the artistic, an aesthetic feat that few singer-songwriters ever accomplish. The patient buildup and lovelorn payoff are pure emotional electricity. And the open-tuned guitar finale? Brilliant.

BONUS: Check out this incredible live version, captured somewhere in America.

Song of the Week

Midlake just released their long-anticipated album, The Courage of Others. The band's much-beloved 2006 album, The Trials of Van Occupanther, sets an extremely high bar--it was one of the fifty best records of the decade. Check out "Acts of Man," a fitting song for the dog days of February.

Peter Gabriel

The D Man has always worshiped the work of Peter Gabriel, even though the video for "Shock the Monkey" scared me as a little kid. Gabriel's unique creativity has spawned countless classic tracks, both far-reaching in the popular and intimate in the personal. So it shouldn't be a surprise that at this stage in his career, with an overwhelming catalog to maneuver against, Gabriel is releasing an album reinterpreting the songs of other great artists. Scratch My Back is due out in March, offering up renditions of Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Elbow, and Bon Iver, among others. Hear the beautifully orchestrated "Flume," one of the standout tracks from Bon Iver's recent classic, For Emma, Forever Ago. Gabriel's reverent incantations are stunning.

Song of the Week

The D Man is a fan of Matthew Ryan's sparse traditionalism that is rooted in a minimalist approach to the Nashville music scene where he makes his home. His work with Neilson Hubbard in Strays Don't Sleep is underrated excellence, and his unique voice has been described as a "hushed rasp, with words catching like vows destined to be broken--one of modern music's most potent whispers." Check out "We Are Snowmen" from Ryan's recent release, Dear Lover.

Grammy Redux

The Grammy Awards have become fairly ridiculous and an exercise in excess. (Not to mention the bloated and contrived music industry "moments"). So naturally The D Man slogged his way through the entire affair so he could bring you some semblance of sanity. Enjoy. (Mrs. D Man's comments are in italics).

• Lady Ga-Ga arrives! “She is so gross.” The D Man wonders whether Madonna was ever this contrived, and then a soot-covered Elton John shows up for a duet. Close call.
• Song of the Year? "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. At least my son knows the version from The Chipmunks.
• On Jennifer Lopez: “She’s got a major girdle on. No way.”
• Green Day is now in rarified company--one of the most overrated best-selling bands of all time. Green Day the Musical? Did The Seussical end its run? We are a long way from “Longview.”
• On one of Green Day's musical singers: “She must be a meth addict or something because her skin is awful.”
• Tired of Taylor Swift acting so surprised. That is all.
• Beyonce going with the Tina Turner Beyond Thunderdome look. No complaints here. But I am surprised to see her without two ladies next to her that have had their thighs carefully measured. Yes, you know what I'm talking about.
• Just noticed Weird Al in the crowd. Finally. 51 million youtube views cannot be wrong.
• "Nicole Kidman's face looks like Play-Dough. Molded.”
• Was Pink getting ready for a Vulcan wedding? Man she was bad. I felt violated when she took off her robes. “Ooh, she’s wet, honey. They dipped her in water.”
• Zac Brown Band as Best New Artist? How out of touch is this show? Keeps breaking new barriers every year.
• The D Man's best joke of the night: “At least the Peas will bring the Boom Boom Pow.” (Giggles). Lyric of the Year has to be "Mazel tov." But I'm not gonna lie. Loved the dancing boom-box guys. I think the Timpview drill team must have let the Peas borrow their costumes.
• Lady Antebellum was really singing. Good for them. Not a bad song either. A Fleetwood Mac-style burner.
• I voted for “Livin' on a Prayer," if you were wondering.
• Record of the Year goes to “Use Somebody” by The Kings of Leon. Given the inadequate category choices, not so bad.
• Robert Downey, Jr. is on fire. And he knows it. Jamie Foxx, not so much. He is starting to get on my nerves with the whole double-threat thing. Leave that to Neon Deon. And why keep pretending to sing if everyone knows you are not singing and apparently does not care if you sing?
• “I’m just imagining your Dad watching this and it makes me laugh.”
• Slash appears for a shill-out solo. (Sigh).
• Mary J. Blige performs at every awards show. If she is not careful, she could become the female Stevie Wonder.
• Green Day wins Rock Album of the Year. Somewhere people cared.
• The Zac Brown Band had to pretend they were stoked to play with the legendary Leon Russell, right? No matter. A half-way decent performance. Cold beer on a Friday night. Pair of jeans that fit just right.
• On Stevie Nicks: “Her voice is so raspy.” The D Man: “That is because she’s got a quarter-sized hole in her nose from all the coke she snorted.”
• Lionel Richie comes out. “Yeeesssss.” Smoothest presenter of the night. And it is not even close.
• Was I supposed to get 3D glasses for the tribute to Michael Jackson’s tribute to the planet earth? Thankfully I stole a pair after Avatar.
• Michael’s alleged kids accepting a word on his behalf. Creepy. Grammy people, get a clue.
• Lyric of the Night: “I highjacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold.” Sheesh. Thanks, Bon Jovi.
• Bocelli can sing. Refreshing. Mary J. Blige brought the goods too. She can come back next year. Just don’t sing “Superstitious.”
• The Dave Matthews Band? What can The D man say? At least they are good musicians, sound tight, and know how to play to a large audience.
• Maxwell was DYNAMITE. Classy. Talented. “My favorite performance so far.”
• Still a fan of dead artist montages.
• On Lil' Wayne: “I don’t know how his pants stay on when he’s running around like that.” Half his song with Eminem and T-Pain was blocked out. Mercifully.
• Strange, Taylor Swift’s Fearless didn’t make The D Man’s Top Twenty List. Oh well, there is always next year when Vampire Weekend wins. Ummm, wait.

Classic D Man

The D Man first heard The Stone Roses' lightning-strike brilliance on his brother's killer compilation from MTV's 120 Minutes. "Fools Gold," a bonus track on the 1989 American release of the band's self-titled debut, was dark, slinky, and had one of the best in-the-pocket guitar grooves imaginable.

From there, The D Man may have been the only kid in junior high tripping out to the likes of "I Wanna Be Adored," "She Bangs the Drums," and "Waterfall." Not surprising, considering that the The Stone Roses' first album stopped the music world and left some wondering whether the band would not only surpass The Smiths as the greatest thing to ever come out of Manchester, but whether Ian Brown and company could challenge The Beatles' throne as the best British band ever. The songs were so strong, such thinking was not sacrilege.

While listening to "Elephant Stone" this morning, another bonus track on the American release, The D Man noted that it still captures the mystery and excitement of this great but short-lived band. There is still serious magic in the opening weave of the guitar line, the half-submerged vocals, and the out-in-the open admission, "Seems like there's a hole / in my dreams." The D Man comes back to "Elephant Stone" again and again, and it has crept into that treasured realm of songs that will never grow old and play on forever in some corner of my mind.

By the time The Stone Roses second (and last) album was released in 1994, the momentum from their debut had diminished and the critics had since fallen in love with others. No matter. Consistently named as one the best British albums of all time, The Stone Roses is well worth repeated listens twenty years later.

Surfer Blood

Surfer Blood rides a wave from their Florida home to California on their first album, Astro Coast. The band's massive power-pop with wait-for-it hooks bodes well for anyone who likes the West Coast sunshine, The Pixies, Weezer, or even the fuzziness of Japandroids (their recent touring partners). The D Man is seriously digging this stuff and is happy to be listening to a great guitar album this early in the year. Check out obvious first single, "Swim (To Reach the End)."

Song of the Week

"Think I finally know what I want / I want to be two places at once." "Yellow Wings" embraces duality: with an exciting blend of both eighties stadium grandeur and vocally insular indie rock, the Brooklyn-based Keepaway has probably produced the best song of January (well, aside from about every track on Vampire Weekend's sophomore effort). With easy and somewhat overzealous comparisons to Animal Collective, this song from the band's self-released debut EP, Baby Style, deserves much more attention to critical detail, let alone the rolling drum progressions, layered sonics, and clever use of electronics.

Musical Relief

The people of Haiti certainly need our help--our time, energy, and resources. Our music? The D Man is not so sure. I suppose if the recent Help Haiti Now telethon can encourage a few more dollars to go to the island, then it is well worth the effort. However, the entire exercise still seems strange to me and some of last night's performances appeared a little self-indulgent, almost as if certain artists couldn't wait to watch their career retrospective twenty years from now and have this be their humanitarian Live Aid moment. "In 2009, Beyonce performed a stunning version of 'Halo' to bring attention to the plight in Haiti."

The D Man still feels inclined to give you his random thoughts. So it goes.

• Coldplay did their Coldplay thing.
• Just happy Stevie Wonder didn't play "Superstitious" for a record twenty-ninth straight television appearance.
• Taylor Swift wore the same dress that she has worn for the past two years. That's about all I noticed about her performance. Although she was so nice on that telephone call, right?
• Christina Aguilera was understated (for her) and quite good.
• Sting played an excellent jazzed-up version of "Driven to Tears" with the help of Chris Botti and The Roots.
• "Haiti, I can see your halo." I suppose the fact that I made The Mrs. laugh after saying it over and over tells you enough.
• Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, and Kid Rock. Yup.
• Madonna totally grossed The D Man out and he was waiting for her skin to rip apart at any moment. Mrs. D Man wondered if the black choir (which they always can get at the drop of a hat, right?) already performed "Like a Prayer" each week at church. Scary.
• Less Matthews, more Young, please. Thankfully, Neil's fantastic performance of "Long May You Run" on Conan O'Brien's final Tonight Show erased all memories of Dave attempting to hog the acoustic spotlight.
• Rihanna looked like she showed up to make a music video and just found out about the earthquake. Seriously.
• The D Man was waiting for The Edge to open up a sonic boom with his guitar after about the third verse of the Jigga Man's supposedly epic rap. Would have made things much better.
• Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris (a former Mickey Mouse Club cast member that recently signed to Timberlake's label) actually performed a quite-nice rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," with obvious reference to Jeff Buckley's exquisite version.
• Jennifer Hudson was fine. The D Man couldn't help but wonder that "full-figured" black women have it much better in the entertainment business than their Caucasian doppelgangers. So sue me.
• Wyclef added some needed color and one could sense his genuine concern for his homeland.
• Regardless of your musical tastes, donate some money or find a way to help.

Song of the Week

Beach House's glimmering ambient pop is on full display in "Norway," the first single from the forthcoming Sub Pop release, Teen Dream. The duo of Victoria LeGrand and Alex Scally replace some of the dreamy and drawn-out atmosphere found on 2008's Devotion with a greater sense of light-filled urgency. Stunning stuff.

Warm Heart of Africa

On hot days while walking through Katutura, Namibia, The D Man heard the popular sounds of Africa blaring from homes and shebeens. Refugees from Congo or Angola. Hip Owambo kids. Old men and women. They all shared a passion for the rhythm-heavy and key-board inflected sounds that pulsed throughout the continent during the turn of the century. The music was alive, even subversive, and stemmed from a common ancestry in highlife (see: here), Afrobeat (see: here and here), and other far-flung derivations. In South Africa, kwaito beat over the townships during the peak of its commercial success and offered the youth a sense of danger and empowerment, not unlike Southern California's rap scene from the late eighties and early nineties. Music was a public and (dare I say it?) primal aspect of African culture and connectivity.

Given these dalliances with the Motherland, The D Man is a sucka for Afro-pop and is happy to share the splendid album Warm Heart of Africa by The Very Best. Every year there is usually one album that The D Man overlooks and actually feels bad about it--not just that he let his readers down or that his own sense of the musical canon abandoned him--but he feels like he owes the artists something of an accounting, or at least a simple explanation or apology. So it is with The Very Best.

Esau Mwamwaya, an ebullient Malawi-born singer, met up with the Belgian DJ/production duo Radioclit in London. Apparently, Mwamwaya was running a second-hand furniture shop and sold a bicycle to Etienne Tron, whose studio happened to be just down the street. Mwamwaya ultimately teamed up with Tron and Johan Karlberg to create a project called The Very Best. The group released a mixtape that became an underground sensation and on their proper debut album, The Very Best revels in a warm celebration of expansive Afro-Western pop music, with bright-eyed vocals from Mwamwaya and impeccable samples and production by Radioclit.

Check out the new video for "Warm Heart of Africa" featuring Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig. It is precisely what an Afro-pop video should be for a song that fuses multiple styles and raises thousands of smiles. This is not "world music"--this is great global pop music in vibrant dialogue with its various neighbors. If this doesn't make you feel good, well, something is really wrong. Get some help.

BONUS: Check out the song "Rain Dance" with everyone's favorite Sri Lankan freedom fighter, M.I.A. You will shake your backside, I promise.

Classic D Man

1988's "Under the Milky Way" is one of the most durable songs of all time--i.e., The D Man can listen to it over and over again without ever growing tired of its allure. In fact, this concept of musical durability deserves its own blog post on another day. Today, The D Man reflects on The Church's wistful retelling of "Two Places at Once," from 1994's Sometime, Anywhere. Unlike many albums from that teenage era, this purchase from the bargain bin has withstood multiple purges of my record collection.

An ode to ghosts, toasts, and boasts, it is a strange little song that gives listeners space to consider the possibility of former lives and former loves--before it hits you with the big, yearning chorus. I've been waiting for yoooouuuuu. The result is a song that sounds like decades have passed, lovers have died, and spirits have long since lingered. We should thank the underrated and long-running Australian band for this musical apparition. They were so bliiiiiiiiiind.