The iPod - 8/7/09

That's right. It has been months and months since you've had your share.
So, without further delay, the iPod drops the truth.

The Script - The Man Who Can't Be Moved
I am pretty sure these guys are opening for Paul McCartney, at the moment. They remind me of One Republic. It's well-written pop-music. This tune will sink into your brain and swim around for days.

Muse - Uprising
There are many people in the states who don't really follow Muse. Most of the musicians I know are die-hard fans of this band. My guess is that if you picked up one of their CDs, you might become one of them. This is the new single from their forthcoming CD, "The Resistance".

Diane Birch - Nothing But A Miracle.
Amy Winehouse is not the only woman who can sing retro-soul confidently. Birch's voice, and the production around it, are warm and confident. This song sounds like something that you might have heard on the radio in the 70's. If promoted properly, she could be the breakout-artist of the fall. She has the goods.

Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning
At first, I didn't really like this song. But, I stuck with it and it really grew on me. I also caught them performing it on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The song is a strange, rambling freakout about a guy, a girl and the mindgames she likes to play with him. For their next CD, "Humbug", the Monkeys recorded a few tracks with Josh Homme at his Joshua Tree studio. Bob Ford also lent his hand to the production in Brooklyn, NY. "Humbug" will be released on 8/24.

Kings Of Leon - Notion
Could this be the next single from "Only By The Night"? Will this band come back to Philly before the end of the year? I hope so. Because, I am not traveling to see them. Either way, this is a really catchy rock tune.

Placebo - Running Up That Hill
I heard the cover of this Kate Bush tune being used in the trailer for "Daybreakers". It's a movie about a world populated by vampires, living politely in society, who are running out of their food source. So, they must race to find a cure for their vampirism or suffer a fate worse than extinction. The movie stars Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe. You can see the trailer below.*

U2 - No Line On The Horizon (2)
This alternate version is included in the iTunes deluxe edition of their latest album. If you want to hear it, you have to download the entire album. Of course, that is a total rip-off. So, I got my copy the sneaky-sneak.
Shhhhhhhhh......
But, hey...if you want a copy of it, let me know. This version is punchier and has a more immediate, "live" feel.

Radiohead - Harry Patch (In Memory Of)
This is basically Thom Yorke's voice over some really beautifully arranged strings. Harry Patch was buried on August 6th. He was the last survivor of the bloody Passchendaele assault. For 80 years, he refused to talk about his war experiences. In 1998, he agreed to talk with the BBC because he realized he was one of the last known links to the first world war. The final line comes from an interview given by a frail Patch to the Today program in 2005: "The next world war will be chemical, but they will never learn." Take note: All proceeds from the track will be donated to the Royal British Legion. So, if you don't want to participate...bypass.

The Postal Service - We Will Become Silhouettes
"Give Up" is one of those albums I come back to, over and over. I love Ben Gibbard's (Death Cab For Cutie) voice. The songs on this album have a really playful, retro charm about them. Think an indie version of Pet Shop Boys or New Order.

Paul McCartney - Great Day
Judd Apatow slipped this into one of the opening scenes of "Funny People". This tune is the last song on the woefully-underrated, criminally-overlooked album "Flaming Pie". Released in 1997, the album features guest performers like Jeff Lynne, Ringo Starr and Steve Miller. It's a largely acoustic set of songs. And, oh yeah...it's also one of his best albums since the mid 70's.

Alright, that's ten tunes for you. I could have done more, of course.
But, what would be left for next time?

Have a great weekend!

*http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/daybreakers/