Don't Tell a Soul, Vol. 22: Once knew a girl by the name of Emily

I'm so sorry everyone. I've been sitting on this mix tape for WAY TOO LONG. (In fact, I think it's beginning to hatch....)*

1. Mike Relm - "Body Rock"
That bass is just epic. I can't wait to see him open for/perform a number with ...

2. Blue Man Group - "Time to Start"
Is there anything cooler than this female voice saying "It's time to start"?

3. Of Montreal - "Suffer for Fashion"
There's a "fake" intro and then -- bam! -- pure, unadulterated Of Montreal bliss.

Definitely going to top some "Best of 2007" lists.

4. Wired All Wrong - "Nothing at All"
Representatives from Self (Matt Mahaffey) and God Lives Underwater (Jeff Turzo) -- two of my favorite bands -- joining forces? Genius!

"Once knew a girl by the name of Emily / Who I'd go and visit on the downtown scene."

(Not that anyone's keeping score, but this one is way more Self than GLU -- with the faux Justin Timberlake vibe and all.)

5. Arcade Fire - "Keep the Car Running"
One for those who grew up on Echo and the Bunnymen / listened to college radio in the '80s.

Plus, it's wife-approved!

6. Aqueduct - "Broken Records"
Aqueduct is just pure gold. There's nary a bum note on the new album.

7. Paul Westerberg - "Waiting for Somebody"
Hey, remember the "Singles" soundtrack?

8. Pearl Jam - "Rearviewmirror"
Hey, remember the '90s?

Unlike the other stuff I listened to in grade school *cough* C+C Music Factory *uncough* this still sounds good.

Real good.

9. Redd Kross - "You Lied Again"
I feel for rockers with "trust issues."

10. Escape the Fate - "Not Good Enough for Truth in Cliche"
Is anyone else a sucker for these paint-by-numbers HS summer anthems?

Nope?

That's what I thought....

11. 22-20s - "Baby, You're Not in Love"
I'm also a sucker for anything that even remotely resembles classic rock, although I'm not as afraid to admit that.

That's right; I'm a bona fide classic rock fan. (See 15 and 21.)

12. Heavens - "Another Night"
"Another night with your head in the oven"? Boys, boys, boys ... is that how we start songs these days?

No harm, no foul: Gorgeous melodies save the day.

13. The Avalanches - "Ray of Zdarlight" (live)
This is great. And that upsets me. -> It's been seven f*cking years since "Since I Left You" (their last album). Hopefully all those live -- yet terrific-sounding -- MP3s floating around the net are a sign of things to come.

On the other hand, according to the group's Web site, they're currently sifting through 40 tracks and there's still no ETA for Album No. 2.

14. The Jam - "And Your Bird Can Sing" (Beatles cover)
How can you go wrong: Jam? Good. Beatles? Good.

Put your hands together.

15. The Beatles - "I Want to Hold Your Hand" ("Love" vers.)
Somehow this "Love" version is more exciting than the original. (Maybe it's the hordes of screaming fans in the background....)

16. The Surfactants - "The Clocktower"
If you like God Lives Underwater (or, hell, even Wired All Wrong), throw in a little 8-bit inspiration and you've got Minnesota's the Surfactants. Great stuff.

17. No Wait Wait - "Faith and Words"
Speaking of great "Minnesoter" records, No Wait Wait is f*cking great. I know I've said it before, but you really, really, really deserve to own their records.

Also make sure to check out the Gallows, frontman Marc Gartman's latest adventure.

18. stellastarr* - "Born in a Fleamarket"
Like Arcade Fire, stellastarr* occasionally sounds like its sound was sucked right out of the '80s.

19. Starflyer 59 - "Loved Ones"
Good stuff. I'm a know-nothing, though.

20. Robbers on High Street - "Hudson Tubes"
Classy stuff. A little whiskey-soaked, too. When I open my Superior bar, "The Pierce Arrow,"** this will definitely be in the jukebox.

21. Electric Light Orchestra - "The Bouncer"
As will everything from ELO, my beloved ELO ... even 1986's "Balance of Power." (It's better than you think.)

22. The Long Winters - "(It's a) Departure"
Like Aqueduct (a fellow Barsuk act), the Long Winters are consistently magnificent. Just good ol' rock 'n' roll.

But, you know, cool enough for record store snobs....

23. Prince - "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man"
Prince's best stab at Billy Joel catchiness is another wife-approved "jam."

24. Grandaddy - "Broken Household Appliance National Forest"
I still get a little teary-eyed when I remember that Grandaddy is no more. This sh*t is epic. (I know I say that a lot, but I truly, madly, deeply*** mean it this time.)

*Ouch, right? I know (I'm lame).
**Unless someone from Pierce-Arrow, the turn-of-the-last-century luxury car manufacturer sues me first.
***Hey, if it's good enough for Savage Garden (hotties!), then it's good enough for this f*cking blog. Eh?