mp3:wham city (edit)

Dear Dan Deacon:

I’ve done a really lousy job this year of looking for new music to like. I don’t know, maybe its because I’m out of school and don’t have the time I used to, or maybe its just because I’m lazy and I like to sleep too much, I dunno…What I’m trying to say is that of all the newer stuff I’ve looked into lately hasn’t really been impressing me for the most part, and I was getting less and less motivated about giving chances to bands and musicians I’d never heard before because of it. Thanks for giving me something to listen to more than a couple of times and for still surprising me even now every time I listen to your record with an awesome little something I hadn’t noticed before.

I know an album of the summer has already been declared, but I would like to take this opportunity to declare “wham city” as the song of the summer.

my my my my my my my my!

Nathaniel tyrant

He’ll pick you up if I ask him to

mp3:My Hi Matic

Dear Isolée:

Two good things:

1. Things are finally starting to warm up waether wise and it is getting nice outside on a pretty consistent basis.

2. I have a working stereo in my car for the first time in months!

Last summer We Are Monster was one of my absolute favorite driving albums, and seeing as in my latest absence of driving music I have failed to find any new decent albums I am going to bring out last summers favorites until I do. I will be sure to keep you posted on any new ones I find.

picturelove,

nathaniel

mach schnell!

mp3:suha

Dear Xiu Xiu,

You are one of my favorite bands ever and i love you dearly. Tomorrow you are coming to play in my town and i would really like to see you, but I am reluctant because I am an old man now and if i’m not in bed before 2 am work sucks the next day. I will therefore base my decision to go see you and sunset rubdown solely on michelle’s opinion of your show when she goes to see you play in her town. Should I not be there in person just know in your heart- you rock my pants.

and you frighten me sometimes.

place my ashes in a vase,

nathaniel tyrant.

fabulous myspace

Dear Loney, Dear (is that a palindrome?),

So I the weather has been getting nicer and this means a few things: 1) my feet aren’t as cold as they used to be 2) and I am a little bit happier. Things with Operation Dumbo Drop have been moving along fairly well and overall I am optimistic about the future. Then this song hit me. I hate to be hyperbolic, but the first time I listened to this song was the best moment from my week. I swear, what is it with you swedes? You are like “oh we are so kind, and we pay high taxes, but we have nice health…BAM POW!” and I am left laying on the pavement, with a bloody nose in front of IKEA.

Seriously, listen to the chorus and try to be sad.

Seriously,

Rob

seriously

mp3: See In You

Dear The Album Leaf,

Just thought I would catch up with you before I see you in a few days. Lately, I have been in the thralls of studying for my comprehensive exams and let me just tell you — your music fits perfectly into a regimine of trying to figure out the uses and gratifications approach to media consumption. Aslo, on your latest album, Into the Blue Again, you have somewhat come up with the musical representation of all of my brain activity: the programmed beats of my synapses firing, the moogish swells of my unborn thoughts. This coinciding of music and physiology, however, ultimately has me a little confused. I kind of hate studying (but deep down I love it) and I listen to your music while studying — does that make me hate your music? Well, at least it’s good that I chose you above Handel’s Water Music or recorded whale calls

I also acknowledge you for having the guts to lay down your own vocals on a couple of these tracks. At first, when listening to “All for you” it wasn’t a pretty sight. But then I have flashbacks to the time that I tried to lay down my own recorded vocals for a song, and let me just tell you, keep on doing what you are doing — you are much better than I.

Ultimately, Into the Blue Again is filled with way too much bombast. It is self-indulgent — a soundtrack for the most ambitious movie ever made. And let me tell you, I can’t wait to see you play it live.

Peace,

Rob

the album leaf dot com

mp3: Graceland

Dear Casiotone for the Painfully Alone-

I was talking with someone the other day about cover songs. We decided that there are basically 3 categories of covers. The first is to cover a song to establish “cred”. Sure, covering bands like The Smiths and the Cure is fun and sounds great in a garage with a few of your friends but selling your own version of these songs is so pointless and it doesn’t establish anything.

The second category includes songs that are covered just for fun. I’m talking about the really kitschy goofy songs that just make people smile or chuckle because of how rediculous it is that they are being covered—- also not good to release, especially if its a filler song on one of your mediocre albums.

Then there is the kind of cover like this one, that sounds as though it was written by the person covering it. Songs that are redone to sound just as haunting and heartbreakingly nostalgic as anything else the artist has ever recorded. love it.

Thank you

nathaniel tyrant

P.s.- i noticed you weren’t on very many “best of 2006″ lists. that is really too bad, because etiquette was easily one of my favorite releases of the year.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone in an internet website