Hem - Rabbit Songs

So I first heard this band on the first-ever 89.3 The Current sampler, and liked 'em. I considered buying this album, but lacked the funds and it sort of fell by the wayside for some years. Finally through the magic of yahoo music, I have it, and I find that the song from The Current is like the least-cool song even on here. One of 'em even contains what I think is the best use of clarinet in any song I've heard in ages (in the track 'Half Acre' - is that a clarinet?), and they play lots of songs in three. Lovely.

This brings up for me some longstanding questions about the nature of country music and my relationship to that genre - This isn't country music, but the instrumentation is, so where are the contours here?

The Long Winters - Putting the Days to Bed

So I've enjoyed this band for a long time, particularly the track "Stupid" (not on this album, but worth finding), which at one time aptly described a critical juncture in my life. Since then I'd always meant to check 'em out, but only recently have I gotten it together to properly listen to this album. I dig it, especially "Ultimatum," "Hindsight" and "Fire Island, AK".

The Noisettes - What's the Time, Mr. Wolf? - Don't Give Up

Read about this band in some SXSW review, checked 'em out, and they move between completely rocking (like in this song, though I'm embarrassed to say almost wanted Van Halen-level guitars and more thundering drums), and weird, trippy background music.

Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea

So I've heard of this band, but didn't think much of it until they happened to come up in my playlist a couple of times. The first tune I heard was in 3 (the track was Waiting to Know You), and then I heard another tune I liked, so I'm interested in hearing more. I've heard some female vocals and some indie-slanted electronic stuff so far, so I'll have to see where this goes. I feel as though this recommendation is for me as much as it is from me to y'all, I guess.

Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta!

Brilliant immigrant gypsy punk. I also hear they put on as great a live show as is humanly possible. Good times.

Lenny Kravitz with the Rebirth Brass Band - Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino - Whole Lotta Lovin

I'm not a huge Fats Domino fan, but I heard this song this morning on The Current and it blew me away.  What surprised me even more was that Lenny Kravitz was the voice on this track.  I didn't think anyone was recording music this funky anymore.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W0WZW4

The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love - Get Myself Into It

If you're looking for something with some notable grove goin' on, check out The Rapture. The whole album's really quite good within the genre.

Patsy Cline - Why Can't He Be You

Seriously, people. Patsy Cline. I was just listening to this song, sort of idling along with the pleasant description of her faithful, caring, perfect-husband-and-father man. It culminates in "He loves me too / His love is true" before pausing to deliver the gut punch of the title: "Why can't he be you?" And the delivery is absolutely top-shelf fucking brilliance.

It may be the case that my intense love of Neko Case stems in part from her position as the closest approximation of Patsy Cline to exist in my lifetime. I should study this more closely.

Sleater-Kinney - The Woods

I know that many of the regulars here both owned and loved this album before I even heard it, but I had to recommend it this week. I've had it awhile, but it never really grabbed me until I began last week to wrap my head around the fulfillment of my life goal of being a roller derby announcer. I've decided that 'Entertain' needs to be on any Derby mix ("Don't drag me down / I'm not falling down"), and 'Modern Girl' is such a fun, bitchy song that I actually WANT it to be in my head for six hours every day.

Beirut - The Flying Club Cup

Accordion/violin/horn small-European-tavern indie-gypsy greatness.  You won't want to mosh, but you might want to twirl.