My present is my presence

This Christmas I did not make a mix but that isn't going to stop me from at least posting a few great Christmas songs. So without any further adieu here are some songs and happy holidays to you.

Do you like Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody? Do you like parody songs that are really great? Do you like to laugh? If you answered yes then you should listen to this song. If you answered no then you should listen to the song below this one.
Steve Rosenthal and Tim Walters - Christmas Rhapsody

If you said no to the above song then click here. Yup. That's what you get for not liking to laugh. Either that or you just wanted to hear the next song.
Deanna Kirk - You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch

It's not all about toys, snow, eggnog and family.
The Band - Christmas Must Be Tonight

The Flaming Lips - Silent Night / Lord Can You Hear Me

Chrsitmas is a time for lovin'. Break out that mistletoe.
Best Coast & Wavves - Got Something For You

Yo La Tengo - It's Christmastime

Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today

**WARNING*** this song is very vulgar, immature and hilarious. We knew Santa was big but....
R.O. Manse - Santa's Packin' (Featuring Dukey From The Dukey Kru)

I also would suggest checking out the tons of christmas music Sufjan Stevens has put out.

During the summer I made a mix called Golden Shores & Red Shoulders. I included a band by the name of 1,2,3 in that mix and to my surprise I got contact from the label, Ooh La La Records who put out their 7 inch thanking me including them in the mix. Of course no thanks were needed, I'm always willing to shine a light on the indie scene. I have to say I am very impressed with not only the bands but also the good taste in music that the label has. It's a small label but they definitely know good music, and would suggest keeping an eye on their site. I recently got news that 1,2,3 has now signed to Frenchkiss records and will be dropping a new album sometime in 2011. I know I will for sure be keeping an eye out for that album. In addition to the thanks, I was sent an advance EP of Oh La La's latest band The Last Royals. It chock full of refreshing indie pop tunes, that are very original. I threw it on as background music while I was cleaning my house and more than a few times I paused because either a great lyric or melody had caught my ear. This is a band that I will be keeping around for sure. Take a listen and if you dig them check out Oh La La to buy it.

The Last Royals - Backseat Lovers


1,2,3 - Little Cure

Random Random Random

I put my itunes on random and away we go.

Sometimes I think about scoring things, and I mean scoring in the musical sense. I am always thinking of what song would be good for a certain situation. I am pretty sure that was the same thinking behind this song and band. Someone was at a high school football game repeating after cheerleaders and thought "Man if I could combine this all into some sort of music score it would be great.
The Go! Team - Huddle Formation

Everytime I listen to this band I want to sit on a old wooden porch overlooking a field and sip some spiked lemonade. This song is way faster paced than most of their songs. I guess that's one of the reasons they call it a rocking chair.
The Avett Brothers - Gimmeakiss

Get out your wingtip shoes, throw on a fedora, or put on your best twrilin' dress cause it's time to do some jitter buggin'. This crazy cat knows how to blow, man. Some good ol' be bop jazz saxaphone style.
Gene Ammons - Jivin' Around (No Longer Available)

I honestly have never listened to this song before and I don't have much to say about it. I have heard some songs by the Wave Pictures before and I really like them. This song seems to be pretty fun and like the last song has a sax-a-ma-phone!
The Wave Pictures - Bumble Bee (No Longer Available)

Yup this one is an oldie, back when R&B was actually rhythm and blues. Someday I would love to host a party where I just play old hip wigglers like this. You know like in that movie Dirty Dancing where the chick carries watermelons and they are doing their naughty dances. It'd be a riot!
Banny Price - You Love Me Pretty Baby

I find this song a little repetitive in the lyric department for my taste, but I can not get over the singers velvety delivery. I love the bass line and the drums, it's a killer combo. I like how it's just a chill sort of sad song but it's got a beat that doesn't make you feel way depressed. The song has a very unique ending to. Not to sure I am digging the name choice for the band. It reminds me too much of that Common song. At any rate, it's still a pretty good vibey song.
Electric Wire Hustle - They Don't Want Me

What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted

I recently got out of a pretty bad relationship situation, thankfully it wasn't a long standing relationship, but it still hurts no matter how long it is. I was pretty much the dumpee, but I was the one who decided to end the "friendship". Which wasn't really a friendship at all. Lets just say there was a lot of frustration and confusion. So I decided to dedicate this post to break up songs. Instead of a bunch of songs you can download I'll post most of these as youtube videos (only because I some of these are big name artists) I'll throw a few non youtube songs for you as well.

Phase One: Songs To Cry To
You lose the girl and suddenly the world seems like a cold place. You can't function as a member of society because all you can do is think of what just happened. Going over and over it in your head.
The Glass Bottle - I Ain't Got Time Anymore (click for lyrics)


This isn't the actual video for the song, but this song can not be passed up! It's more female oriented, but it's oldies gold. I especially love how the chorus breaks down. Killer!

(click for lyrics)

Placebo had a mild hit back in the 90's with a song called Pure Morning and another song called Every You Every Me. They didn't receive much acclaim and to be honest I was not a big fan of them until way later. They have some really great songs and it's all pretty moody. This one is definitely out of the 90's rock music scene with it's bouncy to angsty sound.
Placebo - You Don't Care About Us (click for lyrics)


Phase Two: Songs Of Spite
I remember hearing this for the first time so long ago. Back in middle school I think. I had taped it and I constantly listened to it. I never really understood it but I thought it was funny when he went off on the girl.

(do you really need the lyrics?)

This is another blast from the past for me. It's more girly, yet not so much from the female point of view. It's sugary sweet vocals and jangly acoustic guitars meld so well with the bitter as hell lyrics. It also has one of the best lines ever. "but right now there's dust on my guitar, you fuck/ and it's all your fault/ you paralyzed my mind and for that you suck."
The Murmurs - You Suck (click for lyrics)


Ok this song isn't really about relationships, it's actually about the singers attitude towards the bands worst critics. Thankfully I'm not one of them because this song is one of the most downright spite fueled songs I have ever heard. I chose to include it because the lyrics are pretty general. Peter Murphy sings like Bowie and belts it out on top of a beautiful piano arrangement.
Bauhaus - Crowds (click for lyrics)


Phase Three: The Moving On Songs
A rap song about a break up? Thugs have feelings too!
Gang Starr - Ex Girl To Next Girl (click for lyrics)


I don't like radio friendly songs very often but this one has quickly found it's way into my regular playlist rotation, even when I wasn't feeling down. It's got a really good beat and the crisp sound one can expect from a Timbaland remix. Then you have One Republic frontman/producer Ryan Tedder's soulful singing and you have a good song.

(click for lyrics)

This song is so cheesy but also so inspiring and heartfelt. I think that every break up song post needs to have one. No matter how goofy looking the singer is. What an amazing song.

(click for lyrics)

Honorable Mentions:
Tom Petty - You Got Lucky
The Mountain Goats - No Children
Martin Briley - The Salt In My Tears
Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out Of Your Mind
Go West - King Of Wishful Thinking
13005

It started to snow yesterday, and it made the drive both to work and back home a pain. I was ina 20 minute traffic jam on the way in because there was a car that was being towed on the side of the road that everyone just had to see. It was especially bad when I was going home and it was dark. The road that my work is on was nothing but black ice. Once I got on the highway the roads were clear but very wet. My wipers somehow kept leaving streaks right where I needed to see and the semis were throwing back tons of crap. I must have done something to fix it because about 15 minutes from home they stopped leaving streaks. So much fun. I decided I needed a mix to listen to on those particular snowy drives. So I made one. I picked a lot of songs that made me think of winter. Enjoy.


The Winter Of Our Discontent (A RopBop Winter Mix)
Track List:
01.Neko Case - A Widow's Toast
02. The Notwist - Boneless (Grizzly Bear Remix)
03. Jesse Woods - Mind Drips (Neon Indian Cover)
04. The New Pornographers - Hey Snow White
05. The Rolling Stones - Winter
06. Mother Falcon - Marigold
07. Damien Jurado - Arkansas
08. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
09. Andrew Bird - The Giant Of Illinois
10. Ryan Bingham - The Weary Kind (Theme To Crazy Heart)
11. The Replacements - Skyway
12. Joni Mitchell - A Case Of You
13. Leonard Cohen - Chelsea Hotel No. 2
14. Bon Iver - Wolves (Act 1&2)
15. The Smiths - Asleep
16. Mumford & Sons - Dust Bowl Dance
17. Jason Lytle - Yours Truly, The Commuter
18. Small Brown Bike - This Is My Holiday
19. The Dodos - Winter
20. The Mountain Goats and Kaki King - Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle

Click here to listen on YouTube

Click here to listen on Spoitify (Missing 2 songs)

The Letter A

I am a badass bird!

The first time I heard this song it reminded me of The Smashing Pumpkins. I'm not saying that as a slam against the band. If anything it's a major compliment in my opinion. This song reminded me of why I love the Pumpkins earlier stuff. Sonic walls of crunching guitars, machine gun drum fills, badass guitar solos and flight like lyrics. If I was a bird and I could fly, this would be the song I would constantly listen to.
Apteka - Aragon Sound

This is such a fun song. I have this one on my "Make me happy cause I am having a shitty day" play list. How can you not smile at a song with a kazoo solo? Catchy all the way around. Crank this one up and get your toe tapping on!
April Smith and the Great Picture Show - Colors

I have never been a fan of Anthony And The Johnsons. I have tried and tried to like them but it just doesn't happen. I really think it's the singers voice that annoys me. Recently I was listening to NPR's All Songs Considered (which is a great podcast by the way) and they played this song. It changed me opinion of Antony Hegartys voice completely. I have yet to explore more songs by them but maybe someday I will be converted. Until then I'll stick with this haunted piano driven beauty.
Antony And The Johnsons - Ghost

Waking up is probably one of the hardest things for me to do in life. Let me rephrase that, getting out of bed is one of the hardest things for me. It's such a chore. When I do finally roll my lazy bones out of bed I walk around the house for a good 5 minutes grumbling about how I don't want to do it. I am not exaggerating here folks, this happens pretty much every morning. I found that the right song can kickstart my motor in the morning. The Antlers do a good job of that with this song. the start is slow and easy going and then kicks in to a full blown danceable beat. To top it off it completes itself with vocals I can groan along to.
The Antlers - Bear

I always try to apply music to situations in daily life (see above). This one is definitely one of those songs you throw on when you are feeling like the king of the world. Everyone look out below because I'm blowin' up like a....Vol-ca-no!
Anti-Pop Consortium - Volcano

A Tower Of Music For Your Ears

Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who goes by the name MF Doom, or Metal Fingers or Viktor Vaughn or Metal Fingers or in this respect MF Borat. Whatever you want to call him there is no denying his ability to conjure up insanely clever wordplay and well produced beats. He has produced tracks for Ghostface Killah as well as colaberated with some of underground hip hops best such as DJ Dangermouse on the Adult Swim CD Danger Doom: The Mouse And The Mask (which I highly recommend). Fun fact: Doom's 2009 album Born Like This was inspired by the poem "Dinosauria, We" by poet Charles Bukowski. DOOM samples a performance of the poem by Bukowski on the track "Cellz." Very cool! Get out your umbrella because this dude can spit.
MF Borat - Tower of Ears (feat. Diana Ross)

This band no longer exists. Sad, sad, sad.
The Minders - Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

I forgot that I had this song in my iTunes until it randomly came on while I was sidetracked by the black hole that is the internet. I am so glad that I was other wise who knows how long it might have been just sitting there waiting for it's chance to shine. This is catchy indie pop at it's best. Besides how can you go wrong with a band name that came from a ZX Spectrum personal home computer batman game.
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. - Young And Lovestruck

Did you know that Julia Roberts is a hedonist? Seriously look it up! I don't think if I was a hedonist and she came around I would be unhappy at all.
Hyperpotamus - The Unhappy Hedonist

Click here to read about it, click here to find out what not to do, click below to listen.
Washington - How To Tame Lions