"Stake Your Claim" Eli 'Paperboy' Reed & The True Loves

I'm not sure if the movement of new artists making music circa the 50s & 60s has a name, but I'm all about it. For now, let's call it retrosoul or retrotown. Patent pending.

"Stake Your Claim" Eli 'Paperboy' Reed & The True Loves

"The Man in Me" Bob Dylan

 















Some people forget Bobby D wrote more than Blowin' in the Wind and Like a Rolling Stone. Some people are missing out.

"The Man in Me" Bob Dylan

"Kiss With A Fist" Florence + The Machine

Short and sweet. I struggle to believe that mutual domestic violence is nearly as much fun as this song makes it sound...

"Kiss With A Fist" Florence + The Machine

"A Message 2010" Coldplay

 
















 An awesome LIVE (but audience free!) version of Coldplay's hit from their album X & Y, performed for the televised Hope For Haiti Now benefit concert.

"A Message 2010" Coldplay

"Fighting For My Love" Nil Lara

It's hard to believe I was 8 when this song came out. 14 years later, it's still GREAT.

"Fighting For My Love" Nil Lara

"For the Price of a Cup of Tea" Belle and Sebastian

This song's pleasant groove should brighten things up after yesterday's depressor.

"For the Price of a Cup of Tea" Belle and Sebastian

"In My Veins" Andrew Belle

There's a tragic beauty to this song that makes me want to play it over and over. Andrew Belle already has an album and an EP under his belt, both of which are worth checking out.

"In My Veins" Andrew Belle

"Spirit In The Sky" Norman Greenbaum

 















Sometimes campy classics are just what I need. I admit this isn't the song's original album cover, but I couldn't resist Norman's sweet face among the foliage.

"Spirit In The Sky" Norman Greenbaum

"Parting Words" Michael Giacchino

The LOST series finale has arrived. Although many are eager for the show to end, I will certainly miss it. High production quality, creative storytelling, and a stellar score. It's been a good 6 years; fare thee well!

"Parting Words" Michael Giacchino

"Rill Rill" Sleigh Bells

A Saturday type of song. Don't think too hard about the title; it used to be named "Ring Ring". Why the name change? Perhaps their phones are broken, but really I don't know. Thanks go out again to Mr. B. Thunder for another rock solid recommendation!

"Rill Rill" Sleigh Bells

"Black Balloon" The Goo Goo Dolls

#1 on my "Top 25 Most Played" iTunes playlist. I like just about every Goo song post-1993, but apparently this one's my favorite.

"Black Balloon" The Goo Goo Dolls

"Lay Your Head Down" Keren Ann

A little something from an Israeli-born, French singer-songwriter who happens to have a couple albums in English. Work it.

"Lay Your Head Down" Keren Ann

"Suzie" Boy Kill Boy

Frankly, I know very little about this band, including how they made their way into my music library. A message to the stowaways: infiltration appreciated.

"Suzie" Boy Kill Boy

"Neverland (Piano Variation in Blue)" Jan A.P. Kaczmarek

I love listening to movies almost as much as I love watching them. Even on its own, a well-crafted score can have a strong emotional affect, whether it incites excitement, empathy, or satisfaction. At least for me, this one musters all of the above.

"Neverland (Piano Variation in Blue)" Jan A.P. Kaczmarek

"The Infancy of Us" Eliot Morris

If I had heard the iTunes version of this song first, I probably wouldn't have given it much thought. This version (I'm currently not certain of its origin...) is much less muddled with instruments and FAR more delightful.

"The Infancy of Us" Eliot Morris

"Crash '95 Mix" The Primitives

Every time I hear this song, I wonder how I had forgotten it for so long.

"Crash '95 Mix" The Primitives

"Free Fallin' " John Mayer

It's no secret that I'm a big John Mayer fan. On this live set (and awesome live concert DVD, check it out), John throws in new vocal and acoustic guitar licks that enhance the glory of Tom Petty's hit.

"Free Fallin' " John Mayer

"Jealous Guy" Gavin DeGraw

A somber and sultry version of John Lennon's apologetic ode.

"Jealous Guy" Gavin DeGraw

"A Change Is Gonna Come" Ben Sollee

 















Sam Cooke would dig the vitality Ben's infused into his powerful classic. Check out the rest of Ben's album; it's one of my all time favorites. There's nothing quite like a cellist/vocalist, especially when it's Ben Sollee.

"A Change Is Gonna Come" Ben Sollee

"Fields of Gold" Eva Cassidy

The only cover of the week that crosses gender! With the beauty of this version, it's hard not to think that a woman should have sang it (instead of Sting) in the first place.

"Fields of Gold" Eva Cassidy