The J's or Pop!

A little overdue, I know, but hey, it just gives you more time to listen to the I's.

The J's, or the more poppy album, has probably got the more obscure stuff. But, I think it's just as rewarding. Anyway, without further ado, here's the lineup...

1. Comfy in Nautica by Panda Bear: Ok, yes, I'm aware he sounds just like Brian Wilson, and yes, it's a challenging song to start. But, what the hell, it's almost 5 minutes of sweet pop to get lost in.
2. Cherry Tulips by Headlights: I came across this in a blog post from Allmusic.com. The rest of the album is a good, but not great. The guy sings a bunch of songs, and I wish the girl would do more.
3. Dying is Fine by Ra Ra Riot: this is one of my favorite finds. I got this from another NPR All Songs podcast. They've only got a 6 song EP out and while it's not fantastic, it's still worth a listen. Check out the video for this song, good low budget stuff.
4. Bells by Peel. Song #2 from these guys. I only picked up three from their album. A little Pavement like.... i.e. low-fi.
5. 101 by Albert Hammond Jr. Yeah, I've been going on about this song for a year now. Great SoCal driving pop song.... as the title presumably refers to the hwy along the coast.
6. Free Life by Dan Wilson: This is actually about two years old. It's a live recording from the local public radio station here in the cities called the Current. He just put out an LP with a studio version of this on it. Good to hear him back in front of the mic.
7. Very Small Rock by Happy Apple: Ah, a curve ball. Another local group found on the the Current. The album is really good as well. This song definitely has the rock element, where as the rest of the album is more straight jazz... but good, off beat jazz at that.
8. Kids by MGMT
9. Old Flame by Immaculate Machine: I had trouble picking a second song from these guys. As you've probably noticed, I can't get enough of the girl/guy vocals. I bought the album bounce between disappointed and luke warm. not a ringing endorsement, I know. i think it's more a mood thing for me than commentary on the quality of the music.
10. Freckly Song by Chuck Profit: I've only got 6 songs from the album, but I like every one of 'em. I don't know much about him yet, but he's been around for a while. I think his issue is probably getting airplay... what type of station plays this kind of music?

That's it for now. I'll keep posting as i find more stuff.