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.

Figurines - Skeleton

I'll also recommend my second favorite Danish band, which I only discovered yesterday. So far, so good. Also, the opening track is in 3, which helps my lifelong quest to find the Top 5 Track 1s in 3 of all time. I have three spots pretty well shored up, but the other spots are open, as is the order overall.

Hey, I just noticed that the '1 in 3' thing could be a Trinitarian reference. Heh. I guess that qualifies this post as 'work' for me. No wonder it's my arbitrary musical lifelong quest.

The Raveonettes - Pretty In Black

Since I'm going to Denmark next week, I figured I should recommend my favorite Danish band. I saw them live at the Mets' AAA affiliate stadium at Coney Island in NY. They were an early band, and I could hear them all the way from the subway to the stadium. The first song I caught that way was their cover of "My Boyfriend's Back," which I thought was hilarious and curiously awesome.

Acid House Kings

So I found this Swedish indie band on last.fm. I have like 6 of their songs, and I like 'em, particularly This Heart Is a Stone. The ABBA influence is somewhat clear, and I suppose I like that too.

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead - Vicar in a Tutu

I can't believe it took me this long to find the theme song for my current year.

Taizé - Venite Exultemus - Gott Ist Nur Liebe (Bog Jest Miloscia)

This is probably my favorite Taizé song ever. Among the amazingness is the application of the typical Taizé technique of altering lyrics across languages to make them meaningful and musically appropriate even if the words change. Compare, for instance, the

Neko Case - Furnace Room Lullaby and Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

This is an obvious / old one for me, but if you choose not to listen to Neko Case, I would be forced to conclude that you lack a soul. And she's magical (and funny) live.

Patsy Cline

I freakin' love Patsy Cline. Crazy, I Fall To Pieces, Walking After Midnight, She's Got You... I'm starting with the classics and moving on from there.

Rilo Kiley's Under the Blacklight

At first I found it disappointing, and wondered why I had bought it. At some point it dawned on me that though I don't like the apparent single (The Moneymaker), I really like the rest of the album.

Pat Seick and the Coyotes (available at myspace.com/patseickandthecoyotes

My old friend Jaala is Pat Seick's girlfriend, and at least plays sax with the band. Some random Seattle kids living communally and trying to create rock. I particularly dig 'The Kingdom,' and a couple of other tracks not currently available on myspace.