“The album, in part, celebrates the ghosts of the smoke age, and the various ways they were wrecked but still sailed on. That’s the way it is with humans. You could call it the comfort of doom. Goodnight Oslo is a vortex that I am still leaving.”

The ten new Hitchcock compositions that comprise Goodnight Oslo mark another milestone in the Englishman’s iconoclastic catalog. His remarkable body of recordings spans more than three decades, beginning with his seminal late-’70s work with post-punk psychedelicists the Soft Boys and continuing with a series of highly regarded albums under his own name and with his backup outfit the Egyptians and, more recently, the Venus 3.

Robyn Hitchcock's new album Goodnight Oslo leaked, due out February 17 2009 before original release date: 2/17/09. Nothing different from Robyn Hitchcock's previous tasty music with the album, these are nice tracks.

Don't forget to check out and listen some song on his myspace page.

Robyn Hitchcock - Up To Our Necks

Well it’s late, and the new year has already arrived for half the world so I’ll keep this final post of the year short. Hope you enjoyed the countdown, and Happy New Year to everyone!

I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it, and it was only by chance that I ever discovered it in the first place so I feel lucky to have it at all. It’s bouncy and happy and spirit uplifting. In short, it’s just what we all need! This song is from the album ‘Exit’.
3- Parachute- Shugo Tokumaru


The lyrics in this song are beautiful, as is Judy Tzuke’s singing. The message is excellent, and the feeling of it is full of shades and sweetness. It's a good song to take to heart. It comes from the album ‘Dive Deep.’
2- Enjoy the Ride- Morcheeba


Drum Rolllllll….
And here it is. The number one song of 2008 you probably haven’t heard! It might be repetitive to say keep saying ‘I love this song’ but… I love this song. I just do. Those ‘a la la’s are as infectious as heck, and there’s passion, there’s great lyrics, total uniqueness, and that special little (big actually, this song is so grand in scope and sound) something that just makes a song outstanding. From the album ‘The Stand Ins’, in the number one spot and finishing up this year in music, it’s:
1- Lost Coastlines- Okkervil River


(My favorite song of the whole year was still ‘Head Rolls Off’ by Frightened rabbits, but I already featured it once. Heh heh. Happy new year again!)

Both laid back and energetic in turn, this song is only one of the really awesome songs that this band has produced. What Made Milwaukee Famous might have a bit of a mouthful for a band name, but their album ‘What Doesn't Kill Us’ is sweet simplicity bundled with crunchy, satisfying rock. For this spot I had to choose between ‘For The Birds’ and ‘Sultan’, and it was an extremely difficult choice. They're both great songs, but in the end this song is lesser known, and isn’t that what it’s all about? It’s got snappy lyrics, and plenty of regret, melancholy, defiance, and exasperation. There’s power and projection, but also quiet and introspection, and I really admire the singer’s voice quality. Here’s six on the list:
6- For The Birds- What Made Milwaukee Famous

Number five on this list is a true epic, but it’s about the most unexpected of subjects; the pinky toe. It’s the longest song on this list, and also the hardest to find. It may well be the most obscure song on the list. It has everything; whispered vocals that tickle over the skin, waves of quiet, vaguely organ-like keyboard, swells of gentle guitars. It’s stirring and expansive while staying hushed and musing, and it’s a sweeping tribute to that most underappreciated of digits. And never once does it come off as mocking or corny. This unique duet really does pull off the metaphor with grace and dignity, even if our poor pinky toes don’t get any of that.

Listen to it here:
5- Pinky Toe- A Weather


I waited five months to get this song. After hearing it in a summer preview ages ago I checked every week on iTunes, breath baited, and cursed vociferously every week it was absent, especially by the time the album had been out for a month. This song has so much power. I’m a bird lover, so this chilling lament was particularly appreciated, as was the band’s name. It’s a eulogy, but it’s also so captivatingly beautiful. Like John James Audubon’s painting of the extinct Carolina Parakeet. Jonathan Meiburg has such passion, and perhaps even more so, such a fantastic vocal range, which struck me as odd the first time I heard it because it was just too surprising to be appreciated. Every successive listen of this song just oozes into my soul and makes me love it more and more. The anticipation was not better than finally getting hold of it!
4- Rooks- Shearwater

This is a recently discovered song. Maybe that’s why it managed to creep up this far on the list, because it’s really fresh and exciting still. I had downloaded Katie Herzig’s album Apple Tree on NoiseTrade and I was pretty impressed by it overall, especially for an album given away free and legal. The sing ‘Forevermore’ was really cute and bouncy, and ‘Shovel’ was another favorite. But this song was my favorite and right now it’s popping up a lot on my playlists. Only time will tell how much staying power it will have, but for now I love it! The lyrics aren’t anything special, but the song is catchy and hooky. Number nine is from ‘Apple Tree’, which is probably still available for free download.
9- Hologram- Katie Herzig


If you’ve heard any amount of Japanese pop music, you know that it tends to sound very much the same. From song to song, from artist to artist, there isn’t a great deal of variation in the style and themes of the songs, or in the sound of the vocals. I don’t mean it to disparage it, because some of it is quite beautiful, it simply isn’t very unique sounding to those who aren’t well-versed in it. That’s why I was so surprised and impressed by the band Love Psychedelico. Not only is their sound completely unique, but their style is pretty unique to the world at large. The lead singer sounds almost bored as she sings, and the guitars are almost lazy, but it all comes off as melodic and punky nonetheless. I o love songs that are sung in different languages, and this song is great because it has Japanese lyrics as well as English that I can understand, so it’s the best of both worlds. The lyrics are cryptic and fascinating, and drop me down on a lonely Japanese beach. From ‘This is Love Psychedelico’ its:
8- Standing Bird- Love Psychedelico


I just adore the lyrics in this song. They’re simple and lovely, and they’re sung in such a plain unassuming way…. Complexity can be impressive, but keeping it simple has it value too. The subtle harmonies are just enough, and the instrumentation never takes attention away from the real point of the song, which is its message. The song has an innocence to it, and it carries the listener through a range of subtle emotions without ever becoming whiny or cheesy, twee or overly sentimental. This song is the personification of a beautiful summer evening stroll as the stars begin to appear. The seventh place goes to this song from the album ‘Hideaway’.
7- Hideaway- The Weepies