Monday Music Roundup

Dear lord, this site is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a loooong time.

I was laughing out loud (like, rest-your-head-on-the-desk, hope-no-one-hears-your-stifled-guffaws laughing). It was a thing of beauty. ThingsMyBoyfriendSays.com was new to me, and exactly what it sounds like, a gal documenting random funny things that her boyfriend says — no more, no less. Choice cuts:

“I think I’ll ask the dentist to install tusks in my face so I can fully embrace my orcish heritage.”

or

(When I finally made him shave his damn beard:)
“See, this is why I won’t let you have nice things. Because you won’t let me grow majestic facial hair.”

It’s voyeurism perfected in hilarious fashion.
Now for your recommended weekly musical allowance:

Big Chair
Travis
Here’s a radio rip from the BBC of the new one from Scottish rockers Travis – a driving bass line combines with some chattery electronic effects and the smooth vocal delivery of Fran Healy. This’ll be on their fifth studio album, Open, due in the Spring. Ben Stiller is rumored to have laid down some cowbell for one of the tracks; if I ever got to do that for a band, I think I’d die happy. Travis is also headed for the scenic Indio desert of Coachella in April, if you’re lucky enough to catch that fantastic line-up.

Rhythm & Soul (live)
Spoon
I’ve been listening a lot to uber-talented Austin indie/punk/rock/etc band Spoon lately, digging the eclectic combo of often-acoustic guitar, thumping beats, and funky confident vocals. I think this new track (performed live this past August at the lovely Greek Theatre in Berkeley) will sound divine with the full studio treatment. Hooray! [thx Matt]

All My Loving (Beatles cover)
The Smithereens
I am still a little unsure as to why this album was actually necessary; it’s a complete cover of the seminal Beatles’ album Meet The Beatles (1964) by New Jersey rock band The Smithereens. Overall it is interesting to listen to, as the band walks through a series of covers that are largely faithful to the arrangments of the originals but with an edge of their own; The NY Times says, “The album manages to scream Beatles 1964 and Smithereens 2007 all at once.” See what you think of this tune — for all the hype, I don’t exactly know why anyone would listen to this when the original is available.

Rocking Chair (The Band cover)
Death Cab For Cutie
DCFC covers familiar ground lyrically (“Oh, to be home again . . .”) in their reinterpretation of The Band‘s
grizzled soulful ballad, from the diverse new album of covers Endless Highway: The Music Of The Band (out mañana) which has some good stuff on it. Jakob Dylan’s contribution is interesting to me because The Band first came to prominence in ’65-’66 as the backing band for his pops, donchaknow.

Chasing Heather Crazy
Guided by Voices
I make myself a mix CD for the car every month. This is the first song on the next one. Just to entertain myself.

From GBV‘s Isolation Drills (2001).