Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A couple weeks ago, the Olympic Flame passed by my house. I didn’t even know it was going to, but all of a sudden, hundreds of people were lining the streets. Until that point, I had actually been rather cynical about the Olympics taking place in the Vancouver area. “As if there aren’t five times too many people here already.” When the flame passed, I started warming up to the idea. (Pun intended? Maybe.)

While my Olympic Fever didn’t register on the mercury until midway through the opening ceremonies, Canadians have been excited for a long time. And now, you can feel the energy in the air. This show is all Canadian music, in honour of the country and its athletes.

(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)

Sloan - Take It Upon Yourself - Hit & Run EP
Jason Collett - Love is a Dirty Word - Rat a Tat Tat :: out March 9
Kate Maki - Upon a Time - Two Song Wedding
Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Action - Heartland
Beast - Mr. Hurricane - Beast
The King Khan & BBQ Show - Animal Party - Invisible Girl
Old Man Luedecke - The Rear Guard - My Hands Are on Fire and Other Love Songs :: out March 30
Basia Bulat - Go On - Heart of My Own
Dan Mangan - Road Regrets - Nice Nice Very Nice
CFCF - Big Love - Continent
Jets Overhead - No Nations - No Nations
The Pinecones - Sage - Sage
Elephant Stone - I Am Blind - The Seven Seas
Woodhands - Dissembler - Remorsecapade
Woodpigeon - Empty-Hall Sing-Along - Die Stadt Muzikanten :: out March 9th
Yukon Blonde - Wind Blows - Yukon Blonde :: out March 23
Elliott Brood - Write it All Down for You - Mountain Meadows
Daniel, Fred & Julie - Runner - Daniel, Fred & Julie
Said the Whale - This City’s a Mess - Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia
You Say Party! We Say Die! - Glory - XXXX
Young Galaxy - Long Live the Fallen World - Invisible Republic
Postdata - Tobias Grey - Postdata
Zeus - Marching Through Your Head - Say Us :: out February 23
Hawksley Workman - Warhol’s Portrait of Gretsky - MILK
mp3s:

Sloan - Take It Upon Yourself (email required)
Jason Collett - Love is a Dirty Word (email required)
Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Action (email required)
Beast - Mr. Hurricane
King Khan & BBQ Show - Animal Party
Old Man Luedecke - The Rear Guard
Basia Bulat - Go On
Dan Mangan - Road Regrets
CFCF - Big Love
Jets Overhead - No Nations (email required)
The Pinecones - Sage
Elephant Stone - I Am Blind
Woodhands - Dissembler
Woodpigeon - Empty-Hall Sing-Along
Yukon Blonde - Wind Blows
Elliot Brood - Write It All Down for You (via KEXP Song of the Day)
Daniel, Fred & Julie - Runner
Said the Whale - This City’s a Mess
Young Galaxy - Long Live The Fallen World
Postdata - Tobias Grey (email required)
Zeus - Marching Through Your Head

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you haven’t already, you can become a fan at facebook.com/ThatSound, or follow me on Twitter @davecusick

(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)

Yeasayer - O.N.E. - Odd Blood
Bryan Free - I’ll Pull You Out - digital single
Four Tet - Angel Echoes - There is Love in You
Cars & Trains - Intimidated by Silence - The Roots, The Leaves
The Watson Twins - U-N-Me - Talking to You, Talking to Me :: out February 9
She & Him - In the Sun - Volume Two :: out March 23
Eels - End Times - End Times
Broken Bells - The High Road - Broken Bells :: out March 9
Let’s Wrestle - We are the Men You’ll Grow to Love Soon - In the Course of Wrestling, Let’s :: out March 23
Metric - Help I’m Alive (80kidz Remix) - digital single
The Album Leaf - Falling From the Sun - A Chorus of Storytellers :: out February 2
Lali Puna - Remember - Our Inventions :: Did I say “out February 4″? I meant April 2. Dang Europeans with their switching the MM/DD and whatnot!
Peter Bradley Adams - For You - Traces
Laura Gibson and Ethan Rose - Younger - Bridge Carols :: out February 9
The Besnard Lakes - Albatross - The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night :: out March 9
Rogue Wave - Good Morning - Permalight :: out March 2
Radar Bros - Horses Warriors - The Illustrated Garden :: out March 23
The Raveonettes - The Chosen One - In & Out of Control :: special edition bonus track
Drive-By Truckers - This Fucking Job - The Big To-Do
:: out March 16
Sambassadeur - Days - European :: out February 24
Alex Arrowsmith - Get a Job, Hippie - Modernity Leave :: free album download
mp3s:

Yeasayer - O.N.E.
Bryan Free - I’ll Pull You Out
Four Tet - Angel Echoes
Cars & Trains - Intimidated By Silence
The Watson Twins - U-N-Me (sign-up requried)
She & Him - In the Sun (via Local Cut)
Eels - End Times (via Stereogum)
Let’s Wrestle - We are the Men You’ll Grow to Love Soon
Metric - Help I’m Alive (email required)
The Album Leaf - Falling from the Sun
Lali Puna - Remember
Peter Bradley Adams - For You (.zip file on page)
Laura Gibson and Ethan Rose - Younger (email required)
Besnard Lakes - Albatross
Radar Brothers - Horses Warriors
The Raveonettes - The Chosen One
Drive-By Truckers - This Fucking Job
Sambassadeur - Days

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 As I see the written words “Best of 2009,” I have a gut reaction to dismiss the very idea as an oxymoron. Like when someone who would rather not be awake responds with “What’s good about it?” when greeted by “Good morning.”

As writer Marc Kevin Hall recently observed, 2009 can be summed up by one word: loss. This was certainly true for me; I lost my job to the recession, and, worse, a longtime friend to death. The music community also suffered losses: Michael Jackson, Jeff Hanson, Vic Chestnutt to name a few. So far, this trend hasn’t abated in 2010, yet. Economic indicators continue to be sluggish, musicians keep dying, a personal friend of ours is withering in the hospital from cancer, and tens of thousands have been killed by the earthquake in Haiti.

So, that’s kind of a downer.

While bad circumstances can get me down, I also tend to be an optimist. I generally give people the benefit of the doubt, as well as difficult situations. I think things will start to get better. We’re on the cusp of passing health care legislation which, although it isn’t as robust as many of us had hoped for, should be the biggest stride towards improvement we’ve seen in years. I think we’re also going to figure out how to make a better, more stable economy. Science is continuing to make some sweet strides, and the world is basically a good place.

Even during last year, when things were the most difficult, there were still things to be thankful for, to smile about. For the first half of the year, I got to perform my calling in an amazing setting with amazing people, AND get paid for it. I met some artists whose work I truly admire. My wife is the most supportive and understanding woman I could hope for, and our daughter becomes more beautiful, smart and loving every day.

This is some of the music that helped me through the more difficult passages of 2009, and were the most enjoyable music I came across. I hope you enjoy it!

(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)

Viva Voce - Rose City - Rose City
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Young Adult Friction - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart :: this is C86
Laura Gibson - Spirited - Beasts of Seasons
Ethan Rose - On Wheels Rotating - Oaks :: out soon: Bridge Carols (w/ Laura Gibson) [listen] [pre-order]
Alela Diane - White as Diamonds - To Be Still :: [video]
M. Ward - Rave On - Hold Time
Monsters of Folk -  Say Please - Monsters of Folk
Neko Case - People Got a Lotta Nerve - Middle Cyclone
Bat for Lashes - Daniel - Two Suns :: [video]
Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Shampoo - Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Jeff Hanson - If Only I Knew - Madam Owl
Vic Chesnutt - Society Sue - Skitter on Take-Off
Celilo - Sunken Ships (Live at Mississippi Studios) - [original on] Bending Mirrors
Starfucker - Boy Toy - Jupiter EP
Telekinesis - Coast of Carolina - Telekinesis!
O+S - Permanent Scar - O+S :: [video]
Ramona Falls - Russia - Intuit
Blue Giant - Blue Sunshine - Target Heart EP
They Might Be Giants - The Ballad of Davy Crockett (in Outer Space) - Here Comes Science :: [video]

Also, here are my top 10 favorite albums of the year, arranged in semi-arbitrary order:

1. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
2. O+S - O+S
3. Ramona Falls - Intuit
4. Laura Gibson - Beasts of Seasons
5. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
6. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
7. M. Ward - Hold Time
8. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
9. Viva Voce - Rose City
10. Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Elvis Perkins in Dearland

mp3s:

Viva Voce - Devotion
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Come Saturday
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Young Adult Friction
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Everything with You
Laura Gibson - Spirited
Ethan Rose - On Wheels Rotating
Alela Diane - White as Diamonds
Elvis Perkins - Shampoo
Jeff Hanson - If Only I Knew
Vic Chestnutt - Society Sue
Celilo - Sunken Ships (live at Mississippi Studios) (via The Oregonian)
Starfucker - Boy Toy
Telekinesis - Coast of Carolina
O+S - Permanent Scar
O+S - We Do what We Want To
Ramona Falls - Russia
Blue Giant - Blue Sunshine (via Local Cut)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is the fifth and final edition covering the last decade. Sort of. Next, we’ll be listening to the best music of 2009, and then we’ll really be done with the decade, I swear.

(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)

Loney Dear - I am John - Loney, Noir
Yeasayer - 2080 - All Hour Cymbals
M.I.A. - Paper Planes - Kala
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights - 100 Days, 100 Nights
Basia Bulat - In the Night - Oh, My Darling
Deerhoof - +81 - Friend Opportunity
Blonde Redhead - 23 - 23
Dan Deacon - The Crystal Cat - Spiderman of the Rings
The National - Fake Empire - Boxer
Okkervil River - Our Life is not a Movie or Maybe - The Stage Names
Palomar - Our Haunt - All Things, Forests
Blind Pilot - I Buried a Bone - 3 Rounds and a Sound
Ratatat - Falcon Jab - LP3
Why? - Fatalist Palmistry - Alopecia
Point Juncture, WA - Once Tasted Ever Wanted - Heart to Elk
Starfucker - Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second - Starfucker
Boy Eats Drum Machine - The Crack in the Sea - Booomboxxx
Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer - Furr
Lykke Li - Dance Dance Dance - Youth Novels
Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire - In Ghost Colours
Goldfrapp - Caravan Girl - Seventh Tree
Plants and Animals - Mercy - Parc Avenue

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Happy New Year! More to come soon…

(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)

The Mountain Goats - This Year - The Sunset Tree
The Books - Be Good To Them Always - Lost and Safe
LCD Soundsystem - Disco Infiltrator - LCD Soundsystem
Trespassers William - Lie in the Sound - Different Stars
M83 - Teen Angst - Before the Dawn Heals Us
Maria Taylor - Xanax - 11:11
Harvey Danger - Little Round Mirrors - Little by Little…
Bloc Party - Like Eating Glass - Silent Alarm
Laura Veirs - Magnetized - Year of Meteors
Sufjan Stevens - The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts - Illinnois
The Blow - Parantheses - Paper Television
Grey Anne - The Liking - Facts & Figurines
Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks - Writer’s Block
Band of Horses - The Funeral - Everything All the Time
Beirut - Postcards from Italy - Gulag Orkestar
The Concretes - Song for the Songs - In Colour
Hot Chip - Boy from School - The Warning
The Decemberists - O Valencia! - The Crane Wife
Laura Gibson - Hands in Pockets - If You Come to Greet Me
Viva Voce - From the Devil Himself - Get Yr Blood Sucked Out

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)

Cat Power - Free - You Are Free
Yo La Tengo - Little Eyes - Summer Sun
The Go-Betweens - Make Her Day - Bright Yellow Bright Orange
The Arcade Fire - No Cars Go - Arcade Fire
TV on the Radio - Staring at the Sun - Young Liars EP
Enon - Murder Sounds - Hocus Pocus
Ween - So Many People in the Neighborhood - Quebec
The Exploding Hearts - Sleeping Aides and Razorblades - Guitar Romantic :: OPB profile of Terry Six
Wesley Willis - Rock & Roll Superhighway - Fabian Road Warrior
Jon Brion - Knock Yourself Out - I Heart Huckabees OST
Jens Lekman - You Are the Light - When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog
Lali Puna - Faking the Books - Faking the Books
The Go! Team - Bottle Rocket - Thunder, Lightning, Strike
Langley Schools Music Project - Little Deuce Coupe - Innocence & Despair
Brian Wilson - Good Vibrations - SMiLE
Feist - Mushaboom - Let It Die
Camera Obscura - Suspended from Class - Underachievers Please Try Harder
The Magnetic Fields - I Don’t Really Love You Anymore - I

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)

Blue Skies For Black Hearts - Wishing You a Merry Xmas - XO for the Holidays Vol 2 :: free download!
The Orphaned Children - Silent Night - A PDXMAS :: free download!
Run On Sentence - Christmas Don’t Be Late - Another Grey Christmas, Vol. 2
Carolyn Sills - George Bailey :: digital single [video]
Erlend Øye - Last Christmas - Seasonal Greetings - A Compilation of 13 Christmas and Winter Songs
:: Wham! cover
Betty & the Cavaleros - Hey! I’m Your Gift Today
Belle & Sebastian - Are You Coming Over For Christmas?
Elizabeth & The Catapult - Xmas With The Jews [video]
My First Earthquake - Fa La Freezing
My First Earthquake - (Together in Our) Holiday Sweaters [video]
Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas - Disco Romance
A Weather - Winter Wonderland - Another Grey Christmas, Vol. 2
Jessie Baylin - Mrs. Christmas
Remy Zero - Someday At Christmas
Sufjan Stevens - Christmas In The Room - Songs for Christmas Vol. 8
Laura Gibson - It Came Upon A Midnight Clear - Peace on Earth : A Charity Holiday Album Vol. II
The Raveonettes - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Wishing You A Rave Christmas
Glass Teeth - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day - A PDXMAS :: free download!
Julian Koster - Jingle Bells - The Singing Saw At Christmastime
Jared Mees and the Grown Children - Joy to the World - A PDXMAS :: free download!

mp3s:

Blue Skies for Black Hearts - Wishing You a Merry Xmas
The Orphaned Children - Silent Night
Run On Sentence - Christmas Don’t Be Late (via Local Cut)
Belle & Sebastian - Are You Coming Over for Christmas?
Elizabeth and the Catapult - Xmas with the Jews
My First Earthquake - Fa La Freezing
My First Earthquake - Holiday Sweaters
Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas
Jessie Baylin - Mrs. Christmas
Remy Zero - Someday at Christmas (via O+S)
Glass Teeth - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here’s the next volume, finishing my coverage of 2001, and taking us through part of 2003.Coming REAL soon, this year’s Christmas special!

Also, I have the world’s most annoying cold. I feel fine, but my voice is all gravel and no butter.

(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)

Barcelona - Fleeting Fame - Transhuman Revolution
Masters Of The Hemisphere - Anything, Anything - Protest a Dark Anniversary
Ladytron - I’m With the Pilots - 604
Fischerspooner - Emerge - #1
Röyksopp - Remind Me - Melody A.M.
:: Erlend Øye on vocals
Azure Ray - Displaced - Azure Ray
Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things - The Execution of All Things
Spoon - The Way We Get By - Kill the Moonlight
Tegan And Sara - Monday Monday Monday - If It Was You
Boards of Canada - 1969 - Geogaddi
DJ Shadow - Giving Up the Ghost - The Private Press
Sigur Ros - untitled #4 [Njosnavelin] - ( )
:: how DO you pronounce that?
Supergrass - Za - Life on Other Planets
Iron & Wine - Lion’s Mane - The Creek Drank the Cradle
The Notwist - One With the Freaks - Neon Golden
Doves - Pounding - The Last Broadcast
Aislers Set - Catherine Says - How I Learned to Write Backwards
Saturday Looks Good to Me - Meet Me by the Water - All Your Summer Songs
The Salteens - Damn You - Let Go of Your Bad Days
Manitoba [Caribou] - Hendrix with KO - Up in Flames
Menomena - Lose Yourself :: live, a cappella Eminem cover
Menomena - Cough Coughing - I Am the Fun Blame Monster!

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A whole decade come and gone. At the start of the decade, most of us (well, me anyway) were relying on word-of-mouth, calling the college radio DJ to ask what song they just played, a magazine subscription, or good luck at a record store listening station.

While those things are still part of our (or my) music discovery process, the Internet is predominantly the means by which I find new artists, and new albums from artists I’ve liked previously. Through the rise of mp3 blogs, podcasts & online radio, myspace and other social media, I personally find at least 20 times more music than I used to.

To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about that. While it’s great to discover so much new music, it also crowds out the ability to really bond with the music I already have. And I can discover a ton of new bands in a week, but if someone asks me if I’ve heard of so-and-so, and I haven’t, I still can feel out of the loop. There’s got to be some equilibrium, but I just haven’t it yet.

This has also come into play as I’ve been putting together these Best of the Aughts shows. I found that it was actually easier to think of more songs from the earlier part of the decade, when I knew fewer bands, than the later years.

This is Volume 1, covering the year 2000 and most of 2001 (more in Volume 2). In all of these volumes, I’ve not always selected music that I considered the “best,” though I like all the songs, or “important,” as in, songs or artists that you’re supposed to like. It’s the music that’s most memorable and enjoyable to me, and/or was my first introduction to an artist I really like, and/or a song that sums up their work. I hope you enjoy them!

(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)

The New Pornographers - Letter From an Occupant - Mass Romantic
Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining - The Hour of Bewilderbeast
Elliott Smith - Color Bars - Figure 8
The Apples in Stereo - The Rainbow - The Discover of a World Inside the Moone
Dressy Bessy - I Saw Cinnamon - Sound Go Round
Ballboy - Public Park - Club Anthems
Björk - In the Musicals - Selmasongs
Billy Bragg & Wilco - Airline to Heaven - Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
Belle & Sebastian - I Fought in a War - Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant
Jonathan Richman - Tonight - Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow
Superchunk - Late Century Dream - Here’s to Shutting Up
Built To Spill - Strange - Ancient Melodies of the Future
Death Cab for Cutie - A Movie Script Ending - The Photo Album
Figurine - [bonus untitled track] - The Heartfelt
Gary Jules & Michael Andrews - Mad World - Donnie Darko
Jurassic 5 - Quality Control  - Quality Control
The Beta Band - Squares - Hot Shots II
Air - Radio #1 - 10,000 Hz Legend
The Shins - Know Your Onion! - Oh, Inverted World
They Might Be Giants - Man, It’s So Loud in Here - Mink Car

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is probably the last show of new, non-seasonal music I’ll be doing until after the new year. Because of that, I’ve included a lot of forthcoming releases. Still to come this month, we’ll have Christmas music, as well as best of both 2009, and the entire decade.

(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)

Two Hours Traffic - Territory - Territory
Laura Veirs - July Flame [making-of video] - July Flame :: out January 12
You Say Party! We Say Die! - Laura Palmer’s Prom - XXXX
Faded Paper Figures - New Medium - new album, title TBA
Surfer Blood - Swim - Astro Coast, out January 19
Hot Chip - Take it In - One Life Stand :: out February 8
Sally Seltmann - Harmony to my Heartbeat - Heart That’s Pounding :: formerly called New Buffalo, album out next spring
Yo La Tengo - Nothing to Hide - Popular Songs
The Sound of Arrows - Into the Clouds [video] - Into the Clouds single
Basia Bulat - Gold Rush [video] - Heart of My Own :: out Jan 25
Hayden - Let’s Break Up - The Place Where We Lived
Vampire Weekend - Horchata - Contra :: out January 12
Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM [teaser video] - IRM :: out January 26, produced by Beck
Beach House - Norway - Teen Dream :: out January 26
Tycho - Coastal Brake - Coastal Brake single
The Shout Out Louds - Walls - Work, out February 23
Parlour Steps - Little Pieces - The Hidden Names
Orenda Fink - That Certain-Something Spring [video] - Ask the Night
Asobi Seksu - Transparence [video] - Hush & Transparance 10″
Au - Ida Walked Away - Versions

mp3s:

Two Hours Traffic - Territory
Laura Veirs - Two Free Tracks from July Flame
Faded Paper Figures - New Medium (.zip file)
Surfer Blood - Swim
Sally Seltmann - Harmony to my Heartbeat
Yo La Tengo - Nothing to Hide
The Sound of Arrows - Into the Clouds
Basia Bulat - Gold Rush
Hayden – Let’s Break Up (via AWmusic)
Vampire Weekend - Horchata (via their site)
Charlotte Gainsborg - IRM (via The Music Slut)
Beach House - Norway
Tycho - Coastal Brake (via Pitchfork)
The Shout Out Louds - Walls
Parlour Steps - Little Pieces
Orenda Fink - That Certain-Something Spring
Asobi Seksu - Transparence
Au - Ida Walked Away