Song of the Week

"Heirloom" is beautiful, haunting, enchanting, exciting--a secretive gift among the rococo pleasures of All Delighted People. For the centerpiece of ornamental wonder, enjoy the title track too.

A word on the EP from Mr. Stevens' bandcamp: "All Delighted People is built around two different versions of Sufjan's long-form epic ballad "All Delighted People," a dramatic homages to the Apocalypse, existential ennui, and Paul Simon's "Sound of Silence." Sounds delightful, yes! The song was originally workshopped on Sufjan's previous tour in the fall of 2009. Other songs on the EP include the 17-minute guitar jam-for-single-mothers "Djohariah," and the gothic piano ballad "The Owl and the Tanager," a live-show maintstay (and Debbie Downer if you ask us; what's it doing on a "Delighted" EP?)."

Classic D Man

Paul Simon has written The Great American Song on more than one ocassion. "Bridge Over Troubled Water." "Sound of Silence." "The Boxer." "Mrs. Robinson." (Just to name a few). He repeated the feat again in the 1980's with "Graceland," among others. But there is another oft-ignored song from that same fruitful period that we should probably add to the list.

Several years ago while delving into Simon's solo work, The D Man discovered this beautifully-penned song: "Hearts and Bones," from the 1983 album of the same name. Apparently, Simon himself thought it was one of the best songs he ever wrote. And rumors have it that it was about his soon-to-be wife Carrie Fisher, er, Princess Leia. The personal nature of this and other songs may be one of the primary reasons Simon and Garfunkel fought so arduously during their post-reunion recording sessions--eventually, Garfunkel left and Simon wiped his partner's vocals from several tracks, refashioning them into a solo production.

"One and one-half wandering Jews" may be the best opening line Simon wrote this side of "Hello darkness my old friend." The lyrical song followers our travelers as they wind through love and distance, accompanied by a graceful guitar line and a traditional verse-chorus verse-chorus climax. But Simon's bridgework is the real payoff: the suspension exquisitely flows to some sort of epiphany in response to the poignant question, "Tell me why you won't love me for who I am, where I am?" We are never certain if the answer to that question is enough, but it doesn't stop our lovers, if for a brief moment, from achieving something more.

Song of the Week

The Drums cashed in early on the recent indie beach-pop trend with "Let's Go Surfing." To accentuate the point, The Drums will be opening for Surfer Blood this fall, another band that rode the waves of a massive water anthem, "Swim (To Reach The End)." But The Drums may be more than a one-trick pony, or at least that is The D Man's first impression after listening to some of the new tracks from the band's anticipated self-titled debut. With strains of New Order, The Smiths, and the Cure, the band's synthy and glossy spaces are both minimalist (see "I'll Never Drop My Sword") and filled with hooks (see "Best Friend"). For maybe the biggest summer glow on the album, enjoy the video for "Forever and Ever (Amen)" below. Randy Travis would be proud.

Five Things

Five songs that grabbed my attention at the perfect time this past week. Thanks to talented people who make great music. The D Man is always appreciative.

• "The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love." We all know Jens Lekman doesn't really believe this. But after a painful breakup since his last proper album, Night Falls Over Kortedala, Jens is back with another bittersweet string and piano-soaked epic, saving your heartaches one soaring melody at a time.
• "Meloncholy Hill" is an utterly glossed-out electro track from Plastic Beach. Enjoy another cool video from your primate friends.
• "Guys Eyes" is another outstanding track from last year's Merriweather Post Pavillion. Check out the surf-and-skate vibe for its chilled-out video.
• "Admiral Fell Promises" has long been a staple at Kozelek shows and only recently became the title track for Sun Kil Moon's graceful new album. Enjoy a lovely live version.
• "Laundry Room" came on at the right time this weekend. Twilight. Mountain road. Pine trees. Perfect. Thanks to The Avett Brothers.

Classic D Man

The D Man has been reinvesting in his early R.E.M. catalog. Seeking lyrical elegance. Melodic refuge. Arguably the definitive American band of the past 30 years, R.E.M. are the inspired fathers of indie-rock and have a story arc almost unparalleled given such an incredible trajectory across so many great albums. While driving home tonight and listening to the song below, I remembered what makes this band so special. For a fleeting moment, I thought I might be listening to the finest song ever recorded. At the very least, you should enjoy "I Believe" from the band's fourth album Lifes Rich Pageant. A brilliant song unlike anything else. Call it a friendly reminder. (Lyrics provided below, because as you might know, you won't find them in the liner notes).

When I was young and full of grace
And spirited, a rattlesnake
When I was young and fever fell my spirit
I will not tell
You're on your honour not to tell

I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract
Explain the change
The difference between
What you want and what you need
There's the key
Your adventure for today
What do you do between
The arms of the day
I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in

When I was young and give and take
And foolish said my fool awake
When I was young and fever fell my spirit
I will not tell
You're on your honour
On your honour
Trust in your calling
Make sure your calling's true
Think of others
The others think of you
Silly rule, golden words make practice practice makes perfect
Perfect is a fault and fault lines change
I believe my humour's wearing thin
And change is what I believe in
I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in

When I was young and full of grace
As spirited a rattlesnake
When I was young and fever fell my spirit
I will not tell
You're on your honour
On your honour
I believe in example
I believe my throat hurts
Example is the checker to the key
I believe my humor's wearing thin
And I believe the poles are shifting
I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in

Silversun Pickups

On a whim, Rip and The D Man hit the Silversun Pickups in concert last night. Why? Because we were quasi-autonomous thirty-somethings in the mood for some woozy guitar workouts.

• The D Man picked up Rip's post-meal chocolate chip cookie and, as a result, enjoyed a ticket on the house. Rip scores again.
• Silversun Pickups opened with "Growing Old is Getting Old" and immediately announced that they would sound much better live than The D Man anticipated.
• The band transitioned to strong performances of "Sort Of" and "There's No Secrets This Year."
• "The Royal We" was fantastic live. The build-up following the hazy guitar interlude was even better than the album version.
• "Kissing Families" from Carnavas was held together with a nice mid-tempo chug and bassist Nikki Monninger's vocals.
• The band ran headlong into the encore with "Panic Switch" and "Lazy Eye," the two biggest-sounding songs of the night. "Lazy Eye" was played with absolute abandon, as it should be. A maxed-out treasure of a song. Brian Aubert's vocal-chord shredding yelps climaxed at just the right time.
• "Substitution" was the best of a three-song encore. The set list was Swoon-heavy and that ended up being a good thing. The crowd was really into the show and the band's appreciation seemed genuine throughout the night. Good on ya, SLC.
• Ultimately, Silversun Pickups do not capture The D Man's aesthetic imagination. But they mine a vein of sonic quality--even identity--that pulsed throughout some of my formative music listening years. They are a tight and competent approximation of Gish-era Pumpkins with scattered nods to The Breeders and Sonic Youth. The derivative vibe could be offputting but for the band not taking themselves so seriously. Hearing them live, they are a well-meaning and solid outfit aping earlier tropes to surprisingly good effect. Good on ya, Los Angeles.

The Trials of Van Occupanther / Midlake

Van Occupanther

carries water in the snow

and stumbles again

1. Roscoe

2. Bandits

3. Head Home

4. Van Occupanther

5. Young Bride

6. Branches

7. In This Camp

8. We Gathered in Spring

9. It Covers The Hillsides

10. Chasing After Deer

11. You Never Arrived

Song of the Weekend

Enjoy the best driving song of the summer from your friends Ben Bridwell and company. It does not get much more straightforward, wide-open, American country-rock than this. Thank goodness for sweet guitars and hooks. Note to self: wear your plaid button-up to the concert in September.

Sea Change / Beck

private catharsis

turns into Gordon Lightfoot's

six-string loneliness

Sea Change by Beck

1. The Golden Age

2. Paper Tiger

3. Guess I'm Doing Fine

4. Lonesome Tears

5. Lost Cause

6. End of the Day

7. All in Your Mind

8. Round the Bend

9. Already Dead

10. Sunday Sun

11. Little One

12. Side of the Road

Song of the Week

Sun Kil Moon releases fourth album Admiral Fell Promises next week. The D Man already pre-ordered the album to receive the accompanying I'll Be There EP. Unlike past efforts, Mark Kozelek recorded all of the songs solo with his nylon string guitar. So while you won't be hearing any open-tuned epics, if the cover art is any indication, you will be rewarded with some intimacy. Check out the spare "Australian Winter" and go to Myspace to hear the album streamed in its entirety on July 10.

Haiku Review

In Seymour--An Introduction, Buddy Glass tells us that his brother "probably loved the classical Japanese three-line, seventeen syllable haiku as he loved no other form of poetry, and that he himself wrote--bled--haiku (almost always in English, but sometimes . . . in Japanese, German, or Italian)." On the day Seymour left this world of his own volition, he composed the following "straight, classical style haiku" in Japanese, leaving it behind in pencil "on the desk blotter in his hotel room." (See "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," from Nine Stories, if for some reason you have never read J.D. Salinger's small canon).

The little girl on the plane

Who turned her doll's head around

To look at me.

The poem was later translated by Buddy, or so we're told in Franny and Zooey. Buddy usually describes Seymour's poetry rather than sharing the poems outright, adding another level of richness and mystery to Seymour's considerable craft. We learn that Seymour invented "double haikus" and artfully invoked powerful scenes. We do get this poem, however, written by Seymour when he was young:

John Keats

John Keats

John.

Please put your scarf on.

According to Harold G. Henderson's Haiku in English, the traditional Japanese haiku is visual in appearance, with three lines having five, seven, and five syllables, respectively. The poem must contain some reference to Nature. The poem is specific in the sense that it refers to a particular event, and the event is happening now, not in the past. It is often the practice to reference or allude to a time of year by season. Thus, "the blossomed-covered hill" would indicate spring.

American haiku is often about anything, breaching the ancient traditions and causing heartburn to purists. For example, recall Richard Brautigan's "Haiku Ambulance," which pokes fun at the haiku that fails.

A piece of green pepper fell

off the wooden salad bowl:

so what?

Nevertheless, Japanese haiku in translation is far better conveyed without a strict adherence to the syllabic rule. Sacrificing the syllabic rule while maintaining the three lines, which is usually the way translation is done, is necessary because syllabication in Japanse is obviously different from English, and Japanese kireji ("cutting words") are "primarily verbal punctuation marks" that are difficult to translate directly. So Basho reads as follows:

On a withered branch

a crow has settlled . . .

autumn nightfall

The old pond;

A frog jumps in -

The sound of the water.

Why the lesson in haiku? Why the nod to both the imaginative (Seymour) and literal (Basho) masters of the striking artform? Because The D Man loves haiku. And so should you. The beauty of the haiku is in its accessibility--its ability to distill a scene to its emotional essence in so few words. This accessibility allows for even the most meager of writers to try their hand at the poetic. Everyone can write a haiku. Some can even be quite good.

When The D Man was hanging out backstage with Stone Gossard* before a Pearl Jam concert, Stone (yes, we use first names here) said that the band members had recently been writing haikus. (Here is where you imagine Edder Vedder licking his pencil on the tour bus). Stone believed writing haikus kept their minds sharp and led to some striking realizations. Good for writing song lyrics too, The D Man supposed.

So with Seymour's, Basho's, and Stone's blessing, The D Man sets out on a haiku journey, a creative tour-de-syllable to describe the emotional resonance of his favorite albums from the new millenium. Five. Seven. Five. Wish me luck, as I may even attempt the mysterious double--even triple--haiku that has long been the thing of legend. As the haikus unfold, The D Man seeks your participation. Haikus are obviously a solitary pleasure, but the welcoming smile--and verse or two--from friends and readers extend the little poem's wealth into the realm of riches. So thanks in advance.

*No apologies for name-dropping or implying my coolness by association.

Classic D Man

Not too long ago, Evan Dando was an alternative music pin-up--and for good reason. His guitar-pop with a sometimes country twinge produced at least a dozen hook-filled tracks that never grow tiresome. The D Man has recently been re-living summers past and cannot stop spinning The Lemonheads. The sweet meloncholy that permeates Dando's songs taps into a vein that has nothing to do with the drugs that he often laments. Enjoy "Confetti" or check out "Rudderless" and "Backbone" here. Or maybe a back-porch version of "It's About Time." Because I know you've probably only heard this and this.

Speaking of that subtle country vibe, if someone in Nashville covers "It's A Shame About Ray" they will finally be cool or at the very least would have a justifiable hit. Yep, that's Johnny Depp in the video. He is pretty cool too.

Five Things

Some shared thoughts and musical moments from the past week.

• Last weekend The D Man saw Sting in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand for his Symphonicity Tour. As always, the Englishman sounded great and the clan had an excellent time. Sting's arrangements were fantastic (as expected) and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra extended a richness to the songs that was refreshing and almost heavenly (unexpected). The concert's atmosphere was relaxed as Sting discussed aspects of each song he played, developing a unique backstory that was interesting even to longtime fans. The D Man especially enjoyed performances of some of his favorite songs from Sting's solo material, including "Russians," "Mad About You," "Shape of My Heart," and (giving me chills) "Why Should I Cry For You?"
• Has a song ever sounded better on the Vegas strip? Maybe. But it wasn't this cool, and The D Man wasn't with you.
• Check out Passion Pit's cover of "Tonight, Tonight" by Smashing Pumpkins. Yes, that is a dude singing.
• Rumination incarnate. For the inward search.
• Sting also performed "End of the Game" and it was lovely. None of us had heard the song before. Apparently a Brand New Day B-Side.

Song of the Week

Jack Tatum sounds like the name of a linebacker. But this dude from Blacksburg, Virginia, pays sensitive homage to that starry-eyed vein of dream pop first perfected in the Eighties by some of indie-rock's finest. Check out Wild Nothing's "Summer Holiday" from debut Gemini, complete with reverbed falsetto vocals and an introspective guitar line. Sounds just like it should--nostalgic and gorgeous.

Classic D Man

Sufjan. Stevens. New. Album. The four words have stumbled around The D Man's brain for the past several days. Apparently, Sufjan has not only been gigging with his friends from The National, but he has been hard at work in the band's Brooklyn studio recording a new album. Bryce Dessner explains that Sufjan is "very solitary in what he does" and that the new material does not sound like his older records. "It's going to be incredible," Dessner adds. "It's probably going to blow people's minds." With my mind already blown, Sufjan will just need to (gently) pick up the pieces.

Enjoy this goofy fan video for "He Woke Me Up Again," from 2004's masterful Seven Swans. The song contains the best banjo lead/organ accompaniment of all time. And it somehow manages to sum up The D Man's feelings for Sufjan's music, the Divine, and years of patient waiting: I was asleep. And He woke me up again.

Five Things

The D Man is another year older. But still in his prime. The best songs from his June 8 birthday.

• Mark Kozelek's cover of "New Partner" (driving to work 7:15 a.m.)
• Wild Nothing's "Summer Holiday" (at work 10:25 a.m.)
• The Very Best's "Chalo" (driving to play golf 1:15 p.m.)
• Beach House's "Zebra" (driving to dinner 8:05 p.m.)
• Beach House's "Lover of Mine" (driving to movie 9:30 p.m.)
• Bonus: AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" (Iron Man 2)

Song of the Week

Stars slay the summer again with a killer single worthy of "Ageless Beauty." Check out the video for "Fixed" from the Canadian band's fifth album, The Five Ghosts. Amy Millan's vocals breeze over a shoegaze-lite pop arrangement and nestle their way into a bed of synths. That means good listening, folks.

Music and Memory

The D Man purchased August and Everything After in early spring of 1994 at a baseball tournament in St. George, Utah. Largely driven by the emerging airplay of "Mr. Jones" on MTV (who is this white dude with dreads? why his belly hanging out? why is this a breath of fresh air after everything else on the radio?), The D Man walked down the street to K-Mart and picked up the album. When I returned home and told my older brother about my new tunes he protested and said I should have picked up The Cocteau Twins. Typical.

Regardless of what hindsight haters might say, Adam Duritz' songwriting was brilliant on Counting Crows debut release. There was not a weak song on the record and the sing-along choruses were cathartic. Duritz' lyrics were supple and descriptive in a derivative (albeit melodically-worthy) Dylan vein. "Round Here," "Omaha," "Anna Begins," "Rain King." You know them all.

Perhaps tapping into some faux-junior high desperation, my favorite track (aside from the obvious ones) was the angst-riddled and nostalgia-fueled "Sullivan Street." I'm almost drowning in her sea / she's nearly falling to her knees. Pretty straightforward, sure. But The D Man loved the way Duritz added the buh-ba-buh-ba after singing take the way home for the second time. Loved the way the chorus changed (as with most of Duritz' best songs) to tell an ongoing story. Loved the gorgeous, live-feel production (thanks to T-Bone Burnett). The D Man listened to this track countless times in his basement bedroom. And he can primarily thank the Crows for being the gateway to artists like Dylan that he would discover later in high school. Take the way home, indeed.

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.