With 4 years logged since his last full-length release (the 2006 "Dan Bryk Christmas Record"), Dan Bryk returned to our playlists last year with his new LP "Pop Psychology". Without the backing of a major label, and with a steadily increasing disillusionment towards the recording industry, it seems counter-intuitive that Bryk would produce some his [...]

Here's a quick post, my final one for Christmas 2009. Dan Bryk ( official MySpace wiki AMG ) is an Ontario-born musician, who moved from Canada to Raleigh, NC in 2003 with his partner Erin McGinn (they married in 2008, two years after this song was released). The reason I mention those specifics of his biography should become apparent when you listen to this song. The Besotted family has a tradition called (I swear) "scooterpooping," which is where you leave the house with a modest amount of money and a [...]

Hey There, Merry Christmas. It's that time again, time to spread a little holiday cheer (I'm even getting requests for this mix). Here's my (anti) Christmas mix. A bunch of these songs are borderline sacrilegious and others are only just a little bitter (and who can blame them this time of year). There are some real gems in here though and I hope you enjoy them with your family sitting around the fire while decorating your tree. Cheers, Craig P.S. I'll usually update this mix as new songs come in. [...]

It's not often you find a truly unashamed pop artist. One that still believes in the golden age of piano pop and writes songs filled with melancholic observations and self-loathing sung eyes closed, heart on sleeve without resorting to cliched turns of phrases, clever word play or the dreaded jaded disdain for the world around him. Somehow, after thirteen years of ups & downs, that's exactly the feel I get from Toronto ex-pat, Dan Bryk . His story is long and full of stumbles, but it hasn't impacted Dan's writing. His new record Pop Psychology [...]

Dan Bryk is a tinkerer. His Facebook page describes various technical endeavors including this recent one: "rewiring the TV/DVD/itunes-through-airport extreme/old-mac-running-boxee/ stereo". At the moment he's working on reinventing the wheel. His version of the wheel anyway. Which for him is the standard age-old pop song. Like the wheel, there's little one can do to reinvent pop. But for Dan each clever turn of phrase, jangly guitar, layer of odd instrumentation, and overdubbed vocal is a revelation. And with every release he continues to upgrade, update, and redefine what is possible from the simple pop song. [...]

Well I did it. I waited `til after Thanksgiving to post my Christmas mix. So far a lot of these songs are from last year (or years past), hell I even recycled the photo from last year's post. I'll do my best to update this mix as new songs appear. I love these songs. They are some of the best Christmas songs you're likely to hear and for a large part they are ones I've dug up first. So Enjoy and Merry Christmas (three weeks early). P.S. I'm so low tech it's not even funny [...]
Evidence that technology is making it increasingly difficult to have a sane, sensible relationship to space and time is everywhere. Consider the concept of "local music." Before recording, broadcast, and digital networking technology were available, all music was local music, and really, it still is. Even bands who stay on the road 24/7 are from somewhere. The concept of local bands would seem to imply that some bands live in outer space, and as far as I know, few musicians - barring Perry Farrell, Andre 3000, the RZA, a few others - can actually make that claim. So [...]

I usually don't just throw a bunch of songs up at random, but Christmas mixes are the one good reason to do such a thing. So here's my Songs:Illinois Christmas Mix. The two newer songs are both slow burners; one by perenial S:I fave Chris Garneau and the other by S:I overlooked Benji Cossa. P.S. If you have any of the Christmas songs I've posted in the past from Antsy McClain can you please send them to cbonnell@gmail.com so I can add it to this mix. Sorry for lack of a .zip, I'm surprisingly inept [...]

I'm not sure how many of you read/listened to my various Dan Bryk posts over the years. But it's your lost if you haven't checked them out ( here , here , here ). I'm back with another post since I just stumbled upon this demo of a song called "She Just Want's To Get High", rumor has it this song (along with it's Blur guitar sample) is one of the reasons Dan was dropped by New Line Records. Like many of Dan Bryk's songs it's the moral ambiguity combined with the peppy pop sound [...]
I'm not one of the members of the press (Christgau, et al) who are listed in Dan Bryk's promotional material as people who fell all over themselves writing great stuff about this Canadian's brilliant pop. But fall all over myself I did. The evidence is here and here . I'm actually late to the party and since I don't have any particularly strong attachment to Dan Bryk (haven't seen the live show, don't have the debut record or all the songs that have been leaked over the years while [...]
Singer/songwriter Dan Bryk talks to us about his green card problems, touring Japan with Stephen Malkmus, and what he's been up to since 2000's critical breakthrough, Lovers Leap . Plus, Bryk shares an exclusive MP3 from his upcoming album, Pop Psychology .
Twelve Girls Band "All I Want for Christmas (Is You)" (Mariah Carey cover) A few years back I posted My Chemical Romance's version of this, which is still my reigning favorite, but I like this version as well. For different reasons. Dan Bryk "Hard Candy Christmas" (Dolly Parton cover, from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ) Innocence Mission "Edelweiss" (comp. Rodgers & Hammerstein, from The Sound of Music ) [...]