Archive for the 'mates of state' Category

BOTM vol 10

It turns out I am not well suited for waiting patiently.  That being said I’ll get straight to the music in this volume of Best of the Month.  If you’d like to check out all the previous volumes click through this link.

All the tracks in one zip file : here {zshare = left click}

mp3 : Boy Crisis - Dressed to Digress
Love the title, love the opening couple of lines of this song, and love the dance beat that’s draped across the entire song.  Yeah it’s a bit retro eighties, but what isn’t these days?
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mp3 : Death Cab for Cutie - A Movie Script Ending (Acoustic)
This is a great version of this song.  It might even be better than the original album version.  Seriously, this is a wonderful track to have stumbled upon this month.
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mp3 : Gabriella Cilmi - Cry Me A River (Justin Timberlake Cover)
Almost sounds like Mary J. Blige doing a cover of J.Tim.  This track is a solid cover and well worth a download.  It’s always nice to hear popular artists covered by other talented individuals.
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mp3 : Kate Nash - I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (Black Kids Cover)
This is easily one of the best cover songs I’ve heard in awhile.  It’s fun, it’s not too serious, and who doesn’t love to hear Kate’s British pronunciation of “dance”?
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mp3 : Kerli - Walking On Air
I blame this song on the copious amounts of television I consume.  If you think it sounds familiar that’s because this track has been used prominently to promote the upcoming premiere of the show Fringe on Fox.  The chorus is incredibly catchy.
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mp3 : Mates of State - California (Phantom Planet Cover)
I’ve been in love with all things Mates of State for awhile now {their latest album is brilliant}.  I found this older track the other day and it’s a wonderful cover.  It’s just the right amount of melancholy added to the once bright pop song.
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mp3 : Megafaun - Lazy Suicide
At times I have a single track by an artist that doesn’t necessarily warrant a full post, but nonetheless is an incredible song.  This is one of those tracks.  It reminds me a lot everything I loved about O Brother Where Art Thou?
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mp3 : Queen - One Vision
Not the best Queen song ever made, but who could resist putting it in Best of the Month.  I miss the days when Queen and other classic rock gods were all me and my friends listened to.
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mp3 : The Chemists - Toxic (Britney Spears Cover)
For some reason I can’t resist listening to almost anything that involves Ms. Spears.  The chorus in this cover is what made it worth the listen {and the post here on BOTM}.
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mp3 : The Kooks - All That She Wants (Ace of Base Cover)
I’m not sure what it is with me and my love for covers this month.  Regardless for the subliminal reasons I’ve been addicted to cover tracks this is another solid effort.
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mp3 : This Is Ivy League - You and Me and The Moon (Magnetic Fields Cover)
Why not include another cover song?  Really, why not?  This track stays in line with the rest of this list in that it’s mellow, relaxed, and makes for some easy listening.  Enjoy at your leisure.
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mp3 : Thom Yorke - After The Gold Rush (Live)
This track hails from the brilliant appearance Thom made at the Bridge School benefit concert in 2002.  I have the entire recording and it’s amazing {I might be persuaded to post it here}.
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mp3 : Your Vegas - In My Head
This is pop music as it was meant to be made.  Forget what you hear on the top forty, on the crappy local radio station you love, or even from your dorm room neighbors.  This is what pop music should aspire to be.  Solid verses, catchy chorus, hooks you’ll be humming for days.
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That’s all she wrote.  Short and simple on this time around.  Tell your friends.

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Mates of State

I’ve been a quiet fan of Mates of State since my days at university.  Anecdotally speaking I discovered their music around the same time I started listening to Yo La Tengo, not that it matters.  Anyway, for the past few years Mates of State have been sitting quietly off center on my radar screen.  I’ve listened to each of their albums a couple of times through, I’ve been pleased with their sound, but nothing really grabbed my heart and mind until now.  Their latest disc, Re-Arrange Us (amazon) (itunes), is phenomenal from open to close.  Each track is beautifully crafted and I love how this duo has taken the time to let each song linger on for just the right amount of time.

mp3 : Mates of State - My Only Offer
mp3 : Mates of State - You Are Free

It’s rare these days to find an entire album which you love from start to finish.  So many talented bands create three to five standout tracks and then muck up the rest of the album seeking simply to fill out the rest of the disc.  Not so with this release from Mates of State.  Re-Arrange Us is a solid album and deserves a listen from anyone still reading this blog.

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BOTM vol 09

Someday I’m going to use Photoshop again and update the Best of the Month graphic.  Until that day comes {I’ll need to snag a new computer first} I’ll keep the old picture and instead focus on bringing some good music to the interwebs.  Here below are the best thirteen tracks I heard during the previous month.  By no means are these the best tracks that were made/released during the past month, but they are the best tracks that I personally had time to listen to.  Enjoy the music and tell your friends.

All the tracks in one zip file : here {zshare = left click}

mp3 : Akon - Sorry, Blame It On Me
I don’t know why, but I love this song.  I heard a parody of it on a random youtube video and was instantly reminded how great this song is.  So, in a roundabout way, I thought of Akon and all the things he’s probably sorry about.  At least he didn’t blame it on the rain.
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mp3 : Bob Dylan - Dreaming of You
Bobby has been a little creepy lately.  Ever since he was featured in a Victoria’s Secret commercial he’s come across like a lecherous old man perv {and maybe he is}.  This song does nothing to erase that mental image, but Dylan is still Dylan and he continues to make good music {even if it sounds like it might be influenced by the work of his boy Jacob}.
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mp3 : Database feat. Midnight Martyn - Party People
Granted, this probably, almost, kinda, sorta should qualify for a spot in Best of the Remix series.  For some reason it ends up here and you should all be less judgmental of my list making abilities {i can has mad skills!} and more supportive of hearing awesome tracks.
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mp3 : Gnarls Barkley - Going On
Will the dynamic duo ever hit the heights of Crazy again?  I’m inclined to say they won’t, but on the other hand look how another duo, Outkast, consistently has come through with smash hit after smash hit.  This track might not be quite Crazyesque, but it is awesome.
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mp3 : Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
For most of their career Radiohead has chosen fine bands to open for them when the tour the U.S.  {with exception of their tour with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks}.  Grizzly Bear sounds a bit like seventies rock driftwood that’s washed up along the Radiohead shore.  And for some reason they pull it off.
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mp3 : Lily Allen - Everythings Just Wonderful
Off the top of my head I’m inclined to believe Lily Allen is the best female solo artist out of the UK.  I would bet she would agree.  She’s definitely the best hip hop lady from Britain.  That is undisputed.  Part of me secrectly likes her because she’s so full of herself.
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mp3 : Mates of State - The Re-Arranger
If you’re only going to download one track today this should be your choice.  I’ve been a Mates of State fan for awhile now, but this takes their music to a new level.  The layers in this song are brilliantly well done.  Three cheers to Mates of State.
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mp3 : Nathan Moomaw - March
The album this track comes from is really interesting to listen to.  Mr. Moomaw wrote one song a month for each month he was twenty six years old.  March is my birth month and he wrote a nice slice of melancholy for me… or March, whatever.
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mp3 : Ne-Yo - Take A Bow (Rihanna Cover)
My disdain for Rihanna has been well documented so I don’t feel I need to rant about her again.  I am glad to present this cover to you.  Ne-Yo takes this song to a level Rihanna could never imagine {even if she is hot}.
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mp3 : Santogold - Icarus
The opening track sounds like what I imagine a drunken goose and whale duet would sound like.  When the drum kit is added into the mix the song becomes sublime.  Literally ear candy.  Even the whine laden childish vocals seem to fit here.
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mp3 : The Boy Bathing - The Beaches Meet the Sea
I really enjoy The Boy Bathing.  Although this isn’t my favorite track by them {I posted that awhile back} this song is a solid example of their talent.  This is a classic example of what indie pop can {and should} sound like.  It builds and builds adding layer upon layer until there is a sonic complexity that is gorgeous.
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mp3 : Mystery Jets - Flakes
There are some bands that I enjoy less in their pure form and more in their oft remixed tracks.  Mystery Jets are one of those bands.  For some reason I usually can’t get my attention to be totally involved in their music outside of remixes.  This track, though, has staying power.
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mp3 : The Secret Life of Sofia - Nanda Devi
I simply love this song and I think each and every single one of you should promptly download this track so you can love it too.
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That’s all I have today.  Enjoy the music.

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this is what the world forgot