Blog: Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...

Moving on...

Mar 29, 2009, 6:49pm Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
Head on over and update your bookmarks. http://aintsuperstitious.wordp ress.com
MORE »

OK, OK...

Feb 18, 2009, 4:14pm Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
The Verve (Richard Ashcroft) See You In The Next One
"Ain't Superstitious, But These Things I've Seen..." will return. On March 30. With a new address, new file host and hopefully none of the rather unwarranted mass censorship by that which rhymes with frogger. New interviews coming, new mixes, plenty of good tunes and good stories. But confine this site for archival purposes if you ever need to know more than anyone needs to about something such as Oasis' Be Here Now. Or the good interviews and such. And check back here for the [...]
MORE »

Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

Jan 12, 2009, 6:15pm Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
Well,good greetings to all you dear readers. I hope 2009 finds you well off thus far, albeit without any rumblings from this side of the blog. I'm in the process of moving this blog's home and shifting servers, so on and so forth as to try to elude the ever-growing contingent of web police that seem not to take too kindly to music bloggers today. I suppose this was to be expected sooner or later, and while I have my opinions on the matter, I realize plenty of others do too, and for every action, etc. etc. But [...]
MORE »

2008: 15 of the Best. #1...

Dec 19, 2008, 12:22pm Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #1... Alright folks, the list is complete and this year's 15 of the Best series can be downloaded in a zip file here (left click to go to download page). I'm going to be taking a holiday break, so I guess I'll talk to you again in a couple weeks when it's a new year. Happy Christmas, Merry New Year, etc. etc. #1 - Old 97's - Color of a Lonely Heart is Blue [...]
MORE »
Link Text:here
File Name:

2008: 15 of the Best. #2...

Dec 18, 2008, 10:30am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #2... Ed. note: OK, I'm officially done with FileDen. With tomorrow's #1 entry, I'll include a link to a .zip file of all 15 of the Best. In the meantime, wait one day and read about #2... #2 - Paul Weller - Have You Made Up Your Mind From: 22 Dreams Label: Island/Universal, Yep Roc Released: June 2, 2008 Buy it: Here . Essentially Weller's "White Album" [...]
MORE »

2008: 15 of the Best. #3...

Dec 17, 2008, 11:05am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #3... #3 - Oasis - Waiting For the Rapture From: Dig Out Your Soul Label: Big Brother/Warner Bros. Released: October 7, 2008 Buy it: Here . The mantra "best since Definitely Maybe " follows every new Oasis release, and while indeed it has been misinformed before (I love every Oasis album in its own way, but you can't compare Standing on the Shoulder of Giants or Heathen Chemistry to their first two albums), Dig Out Your Soul proved for once a worthy comparison, [...]
MORE »
Artist:Oasis
Link Text:Oasis - Waiting For the Rapture
File Name:03 Waiting For the Rapture.mp3
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #4...

Dec 16, 2008, 9:48am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #4... #4 - The Last Shadow Puppets - Calm Like You From: The Age of the Understatement Label: Domino Released: May 6, 2008 Buy it: Here . Hand it to Alex Turner. When I pulled together my 2006 "15 of the Best" series and included "When the Sun Goes Down" off the Arctic Monkeys' debut, I noted great promise but also wary skepticism of the British press' overexcitement to always find the next big thing. This leads to a fantastic crash six months later, but not only has Turner continued [...]
MORE »
Artist:The Last Shadow Puppets
Title:Calm Like You
Link Text:The Last Shadow Puppets - Calm Like You
File Name:03 Calm Like You.mp3
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #5...

Dec 15, 2008, 10:49am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #5... #5 - Yael Naim - New Soul From: Yael Naim Label: Atlantic Released: March 18, 2008 Buy it: Here . While "New Soul" didn't quite enjoy the same phenomenon Apple spun with Feist's "1234" last year, the song got enough acclaim selling MacBook Airs to merit a hardcopy release of Yael's self-titled album worldwide. Already content with my now couple-years-old MacBook, I really paid no attention to the ad, other than the computer fit snugly in a mailing envelope. It wasn't until my trip to Germany early this summer [...]
MORE »
Artist:Yael Naim
Title:New Soul
Link Text:Yael Naim - New Soul
File Name:03 New Soul.mp3
Bitrate:159 kbps
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #6...

Dec 12, 2008, 9:07am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #6... #6 - Primal Scream - Uptown From: Beautiful Future Label: B-Unique Released: July 21, 2008 (UK) Buy it: Here . Despite the fact that they once again shifted direction on their ninth studio album, the fact that Primal Scream can do a lot but also knows its own limits led to some turns down familiar alleys, starting with 2006's Riot City Blues. OK, so they went back to that early-1970s Stones rock on that album, and this album went back down the pop route touched on in [...]
MORE »
Artist:Primal Scream
Title:Uptown
Link Text:Primal Scream - Uptown
File Name:03 Uptown.mp3
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #7...

Dec 11, 2008, 10:24am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #7... #7 - The Waking Eyes - Wolves at the Door From: Holding On To Whatever It Is Label: WEA Released: November 4, 2008 (Canada) Buy it: Here . Admittedly, pretty much anything Manitoba's best kept secret would've done after 2004's Video Sound would have been an improvement. While that album spun a small handfull of brilliant tunes, it's hellbent slant to crack the alternative mainstream compromised the guys' ability to work in all sorts of musical textures, which they so eloquently diplayed on their 2002 debut, [...]
MORE »
Artist:The Waking Eyes
Title:Wolves at the Door
Link Text:The Waking Eyes - Wolves at the Door
File Name:04 Wolves at the Door.mp3
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #8...

Dec 10, 2008, 9:38am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #8... #8 - Ian McLagan & the Bump Band - Never Say Never From: Never Say Never Label: Maniac Released: February 28, 2008 Buy it: Here . Some of the songs on Mac's latest have been shoring up space in his weekly set at Austin's Lucky Lounge for the past few years, but Mac's songwriting (lyrically at least) took a drastically different direction following the loss of his wife, Kim, in 2006. Several songs on the album, including "Where Angels Hide," "When the Crying's Over" and "My Irish Rose" provide [...]
MORE »
Artist:Ian McLagan & the Bump Band
Title:Never Say Never
Link Text:Ian McLagan & the Bump Band - Never Say Never
File Name:01 Never Say Never.mp3
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #9...

Dec 9, 2008, 9:38am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #9... #9 - Alejandro Escovedo - Slow Down From: Real Animal Label: Back Porch Released: June 10, 2008 Buy it: Here . Big surprise - Alejandro releases another album and it's brilliant. Of course, simply waving it off as another great chapter in the Austin-based songsmith's catalog would be selling the album a little short. He never recorded a greater crossover threat (and the prospects looked real as he joined Bruce Springsteen on stage and opened for Dave Matthews Band this year, alongside showing up on the Late Night circuit [...]
MORE »
Artist:Alejandro Escovedo
Title:Slow Down
Link Text:Alejandro Escovedo - Slow Down
File Name:13 Slow Down.mp3
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #10...

Dec 8, 2008, 10:05am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #10... #10 - The Verve - Rather Be From: Forth Label: On Your Own Released: August 26, 2008 Buy it: Here . OK, we can call a spade a spade and concede that Forth wasn't the follow-up to Urban Hymns we were all hoping for and lord knows that had it been released in say, 1999, as opposed to 2008, it might've prompted a bit of a backlash. But the realization that Ashcroft on his own only reached greatness once in a great while and that [...]
MORE »
Artist:The Verve
Title:Rather Be
Link Text:The Verve - Rather Be
File Name:03 Rather Be.mp3
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #11...

Dec 5, 2008, 9:30am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #11... #11 - Duffy - Delayed Devotion From: Rockferry Label: Mercury Released: May 13, 2008 Buy it: Here . Without a doubt, Duffy turned out to be arguably the most polarizing new artist of 2008, although it still kind of flummoxes me as to why. Sure the overexposure of "Mercy" didn't help her case, but I'd still argue it's a good (great, even) song. The "Pop Idol" background kind of knocked on credibility, but I'll take her over Clay Aiken (or any "American Idol" winner for that matter) any day. [...]
MORE »
Artist:Duffy
Title:Delayed Devotion
Link Text:Duffy - Delayed Devotion
File Name:08 Delayed Devotion.mp3
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #12...

Dec 4, 2008, 9:46am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #12... #12 - Randy Newman - Potholes From: Harps and Angels Label: Nonesuch Released: August 5, 2008 Buy it: Here . After spending pretty much his entire career placing himself behind mis-shaped characters' eyes to write some of the most cutting and genius songs of the last 40 years, Newman finally came around to write what he deemed his "most personal" song on this year's Harps and Angels LP. "Potholes," apparently, is an autobiographical tale that praises the memory loss that comes with aging and relays a wickedly [...]
MORE »
Artist:Randy Newman
Title:Potholes
Link Text:Randy Newman - Potholes
File Name:09 Potholes.mp3
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #13...

Dec 3, 2008, 9:33am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #13... #13 - Irma Thomas - Be You From: Simply Grand Label: Rounder Released: August 12, 2008 Buy it: Here . OK, so I find the absense of Allen Toussaint on this album a little suspect, but I do like the idea of paring down the sound behind one of New Orleans' all-time greatest female voices and pretty much relegating it to vocals and piano. Ellis Marsalis, Randy Newman and Norah Jones are among the ivory-ticklers that take a seat alongside Irma on the album, but it's this cut -- [...]
MORE »
Link Text:Irma Thomas - Be You
File Name:08 Be You.mp3

2008: 15 of the Best. #14...

Dec 2, 2008, 9:25am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #14... #14 - Blondfire - Lovesick From: My Someday Label: Tender Tender Rush Released: March 25, 2008 Buy it: Here . While My Someday served as Blondfire's formal debut LP, the New York-by-way-of-Brazil brother & sister combo already had a previous releases under their belt in terms of the fabulous "Don't Whisper Lies" EP (when they were known as "Astaire") and an iTunes holiday exclusive EP (when they were known as "Blondfire - formerly known as 'Astaire'). Their MySpace page touted influences like the Smiths and the Gilberto [...]
MORE »
Artist:Blondfire
Title:Lovesick
Link Text:Blondfire - Lovesick
File Name:09 Lovesick.mp3
Year:2008

2008: 15 of the Best. #15...

Dec 1, 2008, 10:13am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
2008: 15 of the Best. #15... Alright folks, it's the start of December, which means the start of your favorite time of year and mine: when everyone with the most passing of interests in music reflects on the past 11 months and cobbles together their best of lists. This blog is no exception, but rather than ranking albums, we're all going to take a look over the next three weeks at the 15 best songs released this year. At the end, as always, you'll have a killer little mix tape or playlist for your fine self. [...]
MORE »
Title:Light From Your Lighthouse
Link Text:The Fireman - Light From Your Lighthouse
File Name:06 Light From Your Lighthouse.mp3
Year:2008

I'm Mr. White Christmas. I'm Mr. Cool.

Nov 28, 2008, 6:08pm Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
I'm Mr. White Christmas. I'm Mr. Cool. So I'm a liar. Last year I promised that after compiling the fabulous Shake Hands With Santa Claus! mix, I'd never do another Christmas mix, as not only could that one not be topped, but I got so burnt out on Christmas music entirely that I couldn't imagine putting myself through another Christmas music wild goose hunt this year. And yet, here we are. While I don't think this mix tops last year's, I do think it equals it, and maybe keeping in mind the weeks of work last year's took, I [...]
MORE »

It's not as if I'm being sent off to war -- there are worse things in this world.

Nov 26, 2008, 10:00am Ain't superstitious, but these things I've seen...
It's not as if I'm being sent off to war -- there are worse things in this world. The best thing about modern indie bands is that they don't shy away from the 7" format. In fact, the cool ones seem to try their damndest to make singles happen on vinyl before compact disc. Of course, a lot of it is down to the label -- how much indie ethos and budget money it has -- but I've always thought it was cool that if you try hard enough you can find an Oasis or Arctic Monkeys single on vinyl. The downside, of course, is trying to whittle down the CD's two or three B-sides to [...]
MORE »
Link Text:Belle & Sebastian - The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner
File Name:03 The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner.mp3
Title:Jonathan David
Link Text:Belle & Sebastian - Jonathan David
File Name:01 Jonathan David.mp3
Page   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... 21 22 Next >