Thanks, AT.  I've been suffering a music drought lately.

(New favorite mp3 player: SysTrayPlay.  Not because it has the puzzling option of shutting down the computer after playback.)

I had related thoughts about some of the evolution references: I have this knee-jerk reaction [I believe, of our times] of "why don't they show all sides of the subject?".  Then I think of how many levels it was ridiculous that I just thought that.  Upon more listens, I noticed how "My Brother the Ape" seems to deal with a guy reluctantly dealing with his animal relatives, which I think is subtle - like "this is what you're all thinking", without being side-tracked at all from "Science".

I have similar thoughts about a nod to Pluto, without the "name all the planets" song being at all about the Pluto problem.

These are not the reasons I'm loving this album, however.

I heard this album played on the radio a few weeks ago, and the nerds who ran this college radio show were similarly excited about the science-ness of this album. I need to listen to it more, and I'm interested in my relationship to this album in the context of the currently perceived cultural divide between "religion" and "science." Isn't that like choosing between cake and ice cream?

"A scientific theory
Isn't just a hunch or guess
It's more like a question
That's been put through a lot of tests"
I remember on my first listen-through thinking that this album really likes its subject in a really nerdy way. And, upon further listenings, I really like the idea of an album being factually correct in a field I tend to be a minor jerk about. Especially "Put It To The Test", which has a pretty great summary of the idea of Falsifiability.

I know, I know, commenting on myself reeks of pathetic-ness. But only tonight did I discover this review of the album from The Sneeze. http://www.thesneeze.com/2008/feel-good-ghosts---a-review-by-my-son.php

I demand that everyone who is cool at all read this review, and then ask yourself whether or not you love this album as much as this eight-year-old kid does. Then ask yourself whether or not you love anything as much as that kid loves this album. Probably at some point, actually listen to the album too. Because it's every bit as great as this Radio-Shack-lovin' kid says it is.

OK, so these two Gram Parsons albums (GP & Grievous Angel) are now sold as a single album. I must have this.

OK, so I've discovered Gram Parsons - I canNOT believe I reference him so callously above!! - where she became the best harmony vocalist in the history of pop music. Brilliant. Also, check her song Making Believe, which I discovered on a Gram Parsons Pandora Station. Some guy (not sure who) on backing vocals, and it's perfectly heartwrenching. Beautiful.

Jason Lukis, this one's for you!!

I suppose I could've included the link: http://www.avclub.com/articles/nashville-or-bust-week-3-johnny-cashs-america,25205/3/

Definitely a great song and a great album. I'm so glad you posted it!

I do have it. It was the CD I got for joining MPR when The Current debuted, so I guess I'm not too surprised it's hard to find. How would I go about making that available to you?

Do you know where I can get a copy of that 89.3 Current sampler??  I would LOVE to get a copy of the live recording of "Littlest Birds" by Jolie Holland, but can't find it anywhere!  Do you have it??

Just getting around to this... Nice.

Having finally listened to the entire album, I long to own it in such form as I can listen to it in my car. That means I like it a great deal, and it inspired a new list at my last.fm profile (last.fm/user/atengwall) of albums I want to listen to in the car. As I only use CDs in the car (Barbarian! Luddite!), I'll have to decide whether to purchase CDs or to upgrade my technology. Anyone have helpful opinions about that question?

I didn't realize that was the new album, as I got that song awhile back on a compilation CD, but as of paying attention to it this week for the first time I'm thrilled with it. I like how some of of this band's stuff could slip onto may faux country mix, and some of it is this song.

Their newest album is called "The Stage Names", and it's pretty great.  The first track tends to stick in my mind in ways I don't understand.

OK, here's the deal. When I listen to this album in the dead of night (it's after 3 am now), I am consistently convinced that it is the best album ever. I WANT MORE CLARINET IN MY ROCK SONGS. And when, as I'm listening to it, my player shifts to Patsy Cline, I feel compelled to create a Patsy Cline / Neko Case / Hem / The Be Good Tanyas (did I forget anybody?) cabal to take over the entire world and bring about world peace and a thousand years of prosperity for all, only not in a creepy totalitarian sort of way.

This is a great album.  This album was the soundtrack to my life for April/May of last year.

Either this is the music Aaron Copland always wanted to make, or it's the music I always wanted him to make. Or it's really late and I'm delusional.

Yeah, as I read this comment one of their tracks happened to come up on my playlist, and I agree that 'rough on the ears' applies at times. I'm currently considering them a little hit-or-miss, but i think it will take some time before I develop a final opinion.

Haven't caught up on your last 2 recs, (the ones after this one) but I spent an afternoon last week listening to Fiery Furnaces.  Rough on the ears, but I was intrigued.

I would like to point out a pattern, thanks in part to reflection prompted by my own last.fm profile ( http://www.last.fm/user/atengwall/ ): Since I became an official roller derby participant (an announcer), Sleater-Kinney has all but become my favorite band.

Coincidence? I think not.

Oh, and P.S. - Since I've really only heard their last album, which earlier bits are MOST vital for me to hear? Somebody make use of this damn site and recommend some for me!! Thanks. :)

Yeah, I got one song from the album (can't remember if it was this one or not) in some freebie thing and thought the same thing. I do recommend the rest of the album. It's pretty good. It was just brought to my attention that you commented. As Brian pointed out, I wasn't subscribed to my own suggestions via rss, which I guess will notify me of comments somehow. Only problem is, I can't figure out how to subscribe to my own suggestions yet. hm.

A critical difference, I suppose, is that Neko Case writes her own music, whereas Patsy Cline did not. Then again, it was a completely different era, so there's that.

I got this tune off a sampler disc (Insound Pushing Product 8, as I look it up), and liked it enough to download the album on Yahoo, but haven't actually listened to it yet.

J, another Stephin Merritt project is The Sixths, where he just brings in random (usually indie-ish) folks to sing his songs. See also the Gothic Archies, whom I have not heard, and I believe he has 'solo' stuff as well. BTW, does this mean you are unfamiliar with the 69 Love Songs album? Because if that's the case, it's a situation needing to be rectified immediately.

Yep.  Basically the same person/people.  Another guy collaborates on the writing in F.B.H.  The Magnetic Fields songs are written by Stephen Merritt (only), and performed by himself and others.

Wow Bri,
These Guys REALLY remind me of Future Bible Heroes. Especially the song "Zombie Boy". Any connection to that band?

When you recommended Patsy Cline before, I thought, "Gosh, she sounds a lot like Neco Case.  Or, vice versa."

So because everybody's a critic (but seldom has a voice in the creative process), you may choose to be interested in this repost from the Coyotes' myspace bulletin:

Date:    Feb 24, 2008 7:02 PM
Subject: well, mixing
Body: hello

we're in the process of mixing an album
we'll probably end up pressing this album onto 5 or six hundred long playing vinyl discs.

we've just posted four early mixes from recent recordings, and I would appreciate any response, creative or critical, that you would offer.

the songs are

winter billet
the sign
psalm
film put in backwards

what do you think?
where are these at?

-patrick

Coincidentally, a song from The Woods played on The Current yesterday.  I enjoyed it, but didn't recognize it, as I haven't listened to much of that album.  It's odd, because I've listened to nearly all their other albums a ton.

Maybe I'm just sad that they've faded away.  (Though still loving Carrie's NPR blog.)

Oh, their site points you to their MySpace page for streaming songs:
http://www.myspace.com/themagneticfields

Just gave Raising Sand a listen through.  Agreed - good stuff.

As an added bonus - the 'tage.

http://www.vh1.com/video/play.jhtml?vid=58826&artist=15700

They look to be in a post-apocalyptic hell-hole, but that won't stop them from a-rockin!

Also, I stand by my original Twisted Sister recomendation...

In news that may interest only me, I recently got a facebook message from my girl Jaala that said she'd send me "a bunch of cds". Sweet.

This reminds me of the Editors, if the Editors were more bold in terms of what they allow themselves to sound like.  "Anthemic" is the word that comes to mind. Somewhat less charitably, Coldplay also comes to mind.  But I like these guys more.

Sometimes I think the first track on that album exists primarily to set up the transition into the second track...

I'd personally recommend their earlier album "Absolution" over this one.  It feels slightly less varied, but it has more standalone catch-in-your-head tunes.

On ~first listen, I'm liking "Arrows Pointing Sideways" on Positive Friction.

I thought "overall dark, apocalyptic tones" description on Rhapsody was a pretty good one, but I liked "Supermassive Black Hole"

My ears have been filled with Acid House Kings this morning.  I like it.  I also like that their website reads "A new album defining the meaning of perfect pop can be expected in 2008."

I'm an idiot. It's The Smiths, not just Morissey (though I admit I'm not as clear on the distinction as I could be). I got it right the first time I tried to post this, but apparently an album title is required so I can list a song title. Can we institute an 'edit rec' feature, Brian?

I'm not sure I'd like to be idly reminded of Requiem for a Dream. Watching it struck me as the kind of experience that I would want to be fully prepared for, emotionally and otherwise. I fear that's my deep association with the Kronos Quartet, but sometime I'll work up the courage to test this theory.

Indeed, I can't find it.  Their website has no music either.

Nice background music.  "Hope" caught my attention, but perhaps only because it's faster/louder.

Great Album. Many good tracks. You might have a hard time finding a copy though, even on a music subscription service. Too bad they've broken up. We had the track "Subversive" play for the first dance at our wedding. You might say it's "our song", but we don't say such things. I think it should be everybody's song.

! I could only bring myself to watch up to 2:05.

I generally agree; for me I think it tends to be the full tracks that I prefer to the short ditty-length ones, and I prefer the classics (mostly hymns, as it happens) to the stuff he wrote. Of course, I had been craving hymns to listen to for so long that I have generally neglected the rest of the songs, so my thoughts could change.

This album is getting a lot of air time in our house lately.  I agree that some tracks stand out more than others.  Perhaps these correspond to the hymns.  It seems, vaguely, I like the less peppy ones more.

Time to comment on my own post.  Oddly, she seems to have 2 albums called Holy Road, with a lot of overlapping songs (one seemingly more produced, and one seemingly less).  The one on Yahoo is not the one I originally liked, but they are both really good.