Catch-up

Crazy. It's been two months since I posted last.
First, there're a few shows coming to Portland that I'm excited about.
The Real Tuesday Weld on July 14.
The Faint on Aug 3 (don't think I'll be able to afford the entry, but we'll see).

Next, the new Girl Talk album is invading my life, through no particular desire on my part. You can download it for free here. For the ignorant, in a nutshell, this music is a dance party waiting to smack you upside the head, but if you're anti-pop-hop (not even ironically?!) don't waste the free money.

OK, the songs:

Chronologically, it'd be appropriate to start with this one:
You might have heard it before. I have no clue where, either. But I likes it.
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers-- Little Bitty Pretty One

Yet another exception to the 'I don't generally like singer-songwriters.'
Exceptions seem to be piling up. I like his voice and the arrangement the opening breaks into. Also does a good (sad??) cover of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Awesome.
Greg Laswell-- How the Day Sounds

More categories, this time under the heading of 'things I didn't know that everyone else did.' Steven Malkmus, founding member of Pavement and sometime Silver Jew, now heads 'Steven Malkmus and the Jicks' and lives, wiki informs me smugly, in Portland.
In any case, I've been loving the songs from his new album, Real Emotional Trash: good, pure, consistent rock.
Steven Malkmus and the Jicks-- Gardenia

Last category: How Have I Not Blogged About This Yet?
The Voluntary Butler Scheme is amazing! He's one [English] man who's thing (for now) is short, sweet pop songs. Check out the myspace, above, and if you have oneof'em you can download a short EP-- The Vol-au-Vent EP-- of four one minute songs he wrote in one lunchbreak.

The Voluntary Butler Scheme-- Tabasco Sole
The Voluntary Butler Scheme-- Trading Things In

I've been crazy about this song since I saw the video-- which, if I got everything right, is embedded at the bottom of the post. Check out the video, and if it strikes you, get the song and teach yourself to dance.
Gnarls Barkley-- Going On