Here is the playlist for the songs (but not the albums) that made the cut:  Click Here!

These singles come from the following artists:

-The Apples In Stereo – Song: 7 Stars 

-Magnetic Fields – Song: Three-way

-The Decemberists – Song: O Valencia!

-Matt Costa – Songs: Mr. Pitiful, Emergency Call, Vienna

-MGMT – Songs: Time To Pretend, Kids

-Bell X1 – Songs: Bound For Boston Hill

-Dennis Mejdal – Songs: Rain On You, Bye Bye Love

-Grand Archives – Song: Torn Blue Foam Couch

-The Blood Arm – Song: Bottom Below

-Yael Naim – Song: New Soul   

Lots of music out there.  These albums are awesome from start to finish.

Here is the link to the Rhapsody Playlist: Click Here!

Vampire Weekend – Album: Vampire Weekend

The buzz band of the moment.  Their album lives up to the hype.  Luckily they sound nothing like their name.  Imagine the perfect fusion of sparse pop, punk, and African tempos and rhythms.  And they’re upbeat!

Figurines – Album: When The Deer Wore Blue

I couldn’t stand them at first.  The guy has this weird voice.  But… you start listening to the music and it starts to infect you.  There’s more there than what you think.  Soon you can’t get the melodies out of your head.  This Danish band taps into something and keeps you hooked.

The Whigs – Album: Mission Control

Rock on fellow Athenians!  Raw grungy rock that doesn’t suck!  Finally, an album I can listen to while I work out.

Rogue Wave – Album: Asleep At Heaven’s Gate

I hate most of the crap on the radio stations because it’s the same chorus or melody repeated over and over and over again so that you definitely know the song and words after hearing it for the first time.   Conversely, I’ve often found that I really like music that I have to listen to a few times.  There will be something I like about it – usually the melodies – that I can’t absorb the first time around.  This album was that way.  The songs were too different to take in all at once, yet somehow I knew I’d really like it when I listened to it for the fourth time. 

Kate Nash – Album: Made Of Bricks

She’s the Irish version of Lily Allen and Regina Spector.  Everyone else is saying it and I said it too.  But that doesn’t mean that her album isn’ good.  It’s fun, upbeat, and pulpy!