This is how I work it out....

I was let go from my job today. It sucks, but at the same time it is sort of a relief. I wasn't happy at that job. I don't feel totally down because I know I did my best to try and keep my job, even at the end when I was pretty sure I was going to be on the outs. I remained professional, didn't act a fool. It still doesn't feel very good. However, disliking my job has given me plenty of time to think about what I would do if this day ever came, so I have a game plan all set up. Tonight though, I am getting drunk, which has already accomplished, and post some work/sad bastard related music. Enjoy!

Quite the fitting song, sometimes you can lose track of what day it is when you are unemployed. Who better to help you remember than, The Might Be Giants?!


This song is superb, cool jazz blues fusion mixed with a dark overtones. I love that organ!
Magnolia Electric Co. - Little Sad Eyes



I would have never known about this band if it wasn't for Youtube. Fantastic lyrics!


Plants And Animals - Bye Bye Bye


The Clash wrote this song about the way people, especially young people, in late 1970's Britain were forced into dead-end jobs due to the economic slump that brought mass unemployment at that time, forcing people to accept whatever employment they could get. Hmmm....sound familiar?


"I'm workin' but I'm not workin' for you..."
Superchunk - Slack Motherfucker


and now a little something for those working...

Don't let The Man gert you down.


Time away always seems so short.
Screeching Weasel - Beginningless Vacation


"Tell em' Steve Dave!"



We all have to deal with some shit every now and then, just hum this tune and you'll be smiling in no time. Read the story of the song here.
Ze Frank - Goose's Whipass Remix


The man in black tells it like it is.

This reminds me of Elliot Smith, which is a good thing, a very good thing. Beal just got signed to XL Records, which has been cranking out some great albums the past few years. I can't wait to hear what will come next from this guy! Beal’s debut LP Acousmatic Sorcery is set to drop on March 19.
Willis Earl Beal - Evenings Kiss


Radical Face - All Is Well (Goodbye, Goodbye)


A bonus track from the Suburbs featuring David Byrne of the Talking Heads. Noice!
Arcade Fire - Speaking In Tongues (Feat. David Bryne)


The Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit released their new album titled The Lion's Roar this past week. I had a chance to hear the album and it might should come as no surprise that I love it. These sisters know how to make mountian man folk songs with beautiful harmonies. If you are a fan of Mumford And Sons you'll definitely want to check these girls out.
First Aid Kit - The Lions Roar


Unknown Mortal Orchestra - How Can U Luv Me


Deeming her sound as Doom Soul, Al Spx makes delightful haunting music. Anyone who lists Tom waits and James Carr as influences, gets instant cool points in my book.
Cold Specks - Holland


This is one of those "I found about them while on youtube" bands. I really dig this band for it's angsty emo punk rock feel. They also manage to set themselves apart from the norm with a lot of tempo changes which makes it fun to listen to. Had I known of this band at age 21, there is not a doubt in my mind, they would have been my favorite band. I do really like the band, but I was way more into the whole emo/punk thing back then. Favorite line "I've been collecting resin with your bobby pins"
Grown Ups - Three Day Weekend

2063

The Letter J

Jonathan Richman - I'm A Little Dinosaur



It snowed like crazy here the past few days. I don't mind the snow, but I hate driving in it, especially when nothing has been plowed. However it does have it's advantages! Here is a cool little instrumental from Jamaican keyboardist Jackie Mittoo. Mittoo, was the founding of the 60's ska band The Skatalites.
Jackie Mittoo - Stereo Freeze

This song is in French, so I don't understand what the lyrics are. All I know is that this song is a psychedelic garage rocker from the 60's that will leave you coming back for multiple listens. I will post a link to his official site, but it's in french, so I'll link to his Wikipedia entry.
Jacques Dutronc - Le Responsable


You may not recognize the name Jim Carroll, but you have may have seen a movie based upon a book he wrote called The Basketball Dairies, staring a young Leonardo DiCaprio. The book/movie is a dark and gritty autobiographical look into Carrolls teenage years in New York City, that focuses primarily on his heroin addiction which started at age 13. You might recall this about 10 years ago this film came under fire with the Columbine shootings for it's violent scene of a fantasy school shooting. If you haven't seen the movie I really really recommend it, it's a fascinating story. Be warned though it's not a family feel good movie. Other than the movie, Jim Carroll also was a poet and musician.
The Jim Carroll Band - People Who Died

The Jags were not around for very long, but they did make some pretty good power pop.
The Jags - Back Of My Hand

The Jezabels hail from Australia. I haven't had a chance to hear much of their music but, I really like this song.
The Jezabels - A Little Piece

Sometimes it's a struggle when searching for the words...

The past two weeks have been a struggle because I have been without my iPod. I got a e-mail about a month ago to let me know that Apple was recalling it's first generation iPod Nanos because of a potential fire hazard. They explained that they would replace it for no charge but it would take about 6 weeks. I have had my Nano for over 5 years so I jumped at the opportunity to get a replacement. The letter said it would be an exact replacement, however doing a little research I discovered that people had turned theirs in and received the newer generation Nano. I don't believe everything I read, so I am not getting my hopes up, but if it is true that would make it well worth the wait. Still though, the wait is killing me. Seriously, being without my iPod is like being away from your best friend. I use that thing EVERY day. I feel so lost without it. This one is for you Titanic (that is the name of my iPod)!
Wildbirds & Peacedrums - My Heart

Today as I was wasting time surfing the seas of the interwebs, I was doing some Facebookery and came upon the game Words With Friends. I had heard a lot about the game, and I love word/puzzle games so I decided to dip my toe into the gaming waters. I have to admit that I never really played scrabble before, It just seemed sort of boring. However, I now have 6 games going on and I am proud to say that I am pretty damn good. I got a 102 point score for using the word "Just". I thought that this amazing song from the masters of slowcore, Low, seemed appropriate.
Low - Words


The past few weeks I have been watching through the TV comedy series Community. I remember I watched the first episode or two and wrote it off as not being very good. As things tend to happen with me, I later decided to give it another chance and became a huge fan of the show. My favorite character is definitely Abed (Danny Pudi) the emotionless movie quoting cool dude. His partner in crime on the show, Troy, is why I am writing about the show. The actors name is Donald Glover and besides acting he is also a very gifted rapper. He goes by the name Childish Gambino. He's not a rapper to sleep on either, his flow is impeccable, he drops so many pop culture references it's hard to keep up, and the beats he uses are original and amazingly produced. Now that I think about it, this song is the reason I decided to give Community another chance.
Childish Gambino - Lights Turned On

Alarm goes off, break of dawn. Smell of sea and the sound of crashing waves beckons me from afar. Eggs and bacon, fruit in a bowl, coffee. Waxing down in cold damp wet suits. Grab the keys and run out the door. My baby's uptop. Blue water and white crests are gonna carry me on through. I will ride.
Male Bonding - Weird Feelings

I love Will Oldhams voice! At first I had trouble with his warbled singing, but it definitely grew on me. There are a TON of Will Oldham albums out there. Oldham is a great lyricist and I find his music is great for doing creative projects or reading. I would say if you never heard a Bonnie "Prince" Billy album you owe it to yourself to check one out. I'd suggest the album this song came from, it's called Superwolf. This is actually a team up with Matt Sweeney who has worked and recorded with many indie musicians. Side note: This song features a clip from the 1977 movie Rolling Thunder.

Matt Sweeney & Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Blood Embrace

No Music Just Links

This web site has been one of my favorite ways of finding new music. It's simple, just enter in a band you like and not only do you get videos from that specific band, but you also get tons of recommendations. Click on a recommendation and you go deeper into the forest of good unknown music. Give it a try, get lost for a while, find something new!
Musictonic: Music Video Awesomeness


Lets pretend you are a robot, a super intelligent robot, who has the ability to read super fast and comprehend what you read in a matter of seconds. Lets say you don't know what music is. This is the website for you. Seriously whoever wrote this went super technical and decided to take a deep look at music as a whole. Maybe, it wasn't a human who wrote this...hmmmm. More Input!
Music Theory Lessons

I recently discovered this band called The Gits. They are a female fronted punk rock band from Yellow Springs, Ohio but gained their following in the 1990's in Seattle. The band is really friggin' good and has a sad yet fascinating story behind them. I won't go into much detail, but they are no longer a band due to a very unfortunate and unjust circumstances. If your interest is piqued you should click here to read the Wiki page for the band. Then I would suggest watching the documentary, which I have yet to see myself. From what I have read it is a very powerful and moving band documentary. I will be watching it tomorrow for sure.
Watch The Doc for free here.

This is one of the coolest things I have ever heard of. The Yellow Bird Project is a Montreal-based organization who works with various indie bands to create unique band t-shirts and the proceeds go to a charity that the band chooses. The t-shirts are pretty badass looking and each band chooses their own charity. Sure they are a little more expensive, but what's an extra couple of bucks to know you look great and feel great because you know you did something good.
The Yellow Bird Project

If you haven't noticed I love to to make themed posts and mixes. Seriously if you could see my iTunes playlists you'd mock me ("Cry Me A River: the Smalles Violin Plays" a mix filled with depressing emo songs). Here is a link I came across that makes me feel a little bit less nerdy.
Weeblesue's Playlist Bonanza


Have you ever been watching TV or a movie and heard a song and heard a really great song in the background and wished there was a place you could go and try and look it up? There is always the internet but sometimes it ends up being a bust. Well, save yourself some time and frustration and stop wishing and start here. Even if you don't have a particular song in mind it's a great place to find some great tunes.
Tunefind

As always here are some non music links just for fun...

Easter Eggs: an intentional hidden message or an in-joke in a work such as a computer program, web page, video game, movie, book, or crossword. The term was coined — according to Warren Robinett — by Atari after they were pointed to the secret message left by Robinett in the game Adventure. It draws a parallel with the custom of the Easter egg hunt observed in many Western nations as well as the last Russian imperial family's tradition of giving elaborately jeweled egg-shaped creations by Carl Fabergé which contained hidden surprises.
I especially like the DVD easter eggs section

Get ready to waste a lot of time reading random notes people found in various places. Very interesting!
Found Magazine
Since finding things is so much fun...
FFFFOUND!

The Letter I

Ida is one of the best chill out bands that you will ever hear. Their music is very minimalistic, and dual guy/girl vocal harmonies that create a beautiful and peaceful landscape. The band has released many albums since it's debut in 1994 on both major and independent record labels. I love throwing on an Ida album when I am reading. So relaxing. I'd suggest their album I Know About You, but this song is off of their most recent full length Lovers Prayers.
Ida - Lovers Prayers


80's synths, catchy lyrics, and a beat you can most certainly work out to. Definitely the type of song that gets stuck in your brain, so be ready to sing it all day!
Iglu & Hartly - Day Glo


This band hails from the Great White North. That's Canada if you weren't sure. Take off you hoser! Straight up indie rock. I first heard this song on my way home from work, I found myself going a lot faster than what I should have been. Neat fact, the bands name is taken from the Paul Simon song One-Trick Pony.
Immaculate Machine - Dear Confessor


I posted a song by the Islands quite a long time ago but I can't resist posting another from them. This is a rowdy little number that breaks down to an almost Caribbean calypso feel half way through which makes it really hard not to dance to. These boys are also Canadian, hence the french title of this song which I believe translates to "I love to see you leave."
Islands - J'aime Vous Voir Quitter


I don't know much about Ingrid Michaelson, she's fairly new on my radar, but from what I have heard I really dig her stuff. She did a really good Ukelele version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. This song is a poppy post break up song. Happy isn't what you would expect for a description of break up song. The lyrics are simple yet convey a great deal of emotion perfectly. On a side note, I always laugh a little when I hear this song because back in my middle school days I had a gym teacher named Mr. Weeber who nick named me B.O.K. I used to camp seasonally in the summer with my family at a campground called Baldwin Oaks. One weekend I saw him at the campground and he gave me the name "The Baldwin Oaks Kid" which was shortened to B.O.K.
Ingrid Michaelson - Be OK


Immortal Technique is one of the best underground rappers I have ever heard. He's super hardcore and voices his views with no filter. In other words this cat is raw. I have listened to his album Revolutionary Vol. 2 so many times I have lost count. The album as a whole is very political, by that I mean it attacks the united states government, particularity the Bush administration, which is fitting for the time the album was released. However, do not let that be a deterrent from checking out this album, it's filled with great lines and fresh as it was 10 years ago. This song is exactly what rap should be!
Immortal Technique - Industrial Revolution


I know I posted this song before, I am sure it was one of the first few posts for this blog, but I LOVE this song! Mmmmm whatcha say....

1890

Give me something to break!

I am in a horrible mood right now. Shit has just been rolling downhill all day and I have been standing at the bottom. I could go into it all the issues that led to the turd covered angry state that I am in, but that isn't what this blog is for. I will say this though, because it makes me laugh. I decided to try to quit smoking and this is first day not smoking. Which I am sure is contributing to my overall crankiness, however I can't help but remember Steve McCroskey from the movie Airplane....
With that said today's songs are going to be my go to angry songs. Warning: I am sure most of these songs will have some bad language, so don't listen to them around old ladies, children, or nuns. Let's do this!


This song is pretty hardcore, but sometimes you just need to vent.
Toxic Narcotic - Asshole

I don't know if anyone else does this, but sometimes I make up scenarios and then think of what I would do in that situation. Example: I thought to myself, Man, if someone decides to mess with me tonight, like say mug me, I might just go insane and release all this pent up aggression. I'd give them a beat down but right before I did I'd give an awesome one liner straight from a movie like, "You picked the wrong guy to mess with tonight. Then afterward I'd give them the advice "That's why you don't fuck with people!"
Black Lips - Short Fuse

I'll never get tired of hearing this song....ever. This video is pretty badass too, tons of celebs, Snoop, Dre, Eminem, Jonathan Davis (of Korn), Pauly Shore (WTF) I'm sure there are more that I don't know.
Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff


Even though they may have your best interests at heart and genuinely want to know what is bothering you, it's best to walk away or tell them you will talk to them when you are in a more rational state and can speak without offending. Or simply tell them you do not wish to discuss the issue with them. Just remember be polite.
Delta 5 - Mind Your Own Business

How 'bout some ol' funky shadiness?
The O'Jays - Back Stabbers


On the surface the lyrics seem like a nice homage to friends but once you listen to the song you soon realize that this song is filled with nothing but bitterness. Brilliant song right here.
Big Star - Thank You Friends


Being angry is a great time for some guttural growls and a lot of yelling. It also helps if it's got an insane wall of guitar and angsty lyrics (even though you can't make out most of them).
Planes Mistaken For Stars - Belly Full Of Hell

No matter how angry or upset you get at a situation or outcome staying angry isn't healthy, you'll just end up bitter and alone. So here are a few songs to help you dig in and climb back to the top and reclaim your place as king of Mt. awesome, where you belong.

Apartment - Fall Into Place

Flaming Lips - Bad Days


The Tallest Man On Earth - Troubles Will Be Gone

Cloud Cult - Unexplainable Stories

Van Halen - Right Now