June Music List

The other day my friend Kismet confessed to going out to buy a Pavement
album based solely on my recommendation. This reminded me, once again
(it's been a while since this has been acknowledged) that I have
fabulous taste in music (thanks in no small part to Pitchforkmedia.com
and the now-defunct Puncture Magazine). And so it is for you, my 3
active readers and 289 assorted lurkers, fan boys, and hangers on, that
I present the first ever "Paul's Recommended Music List for the Month
of June", in random order.

1. Gang of Four: "Entertainment!" LP
Don't bother listening to today's trendy pseudo-New Wavers (El Guapo,
I'm looking at you), get the real deal from this 1980s UK masterpiece,
dance and be angry!

2. The Fall: "Hex Induction Hour" LP
A primary influence on Pavement and a grim warning on the combination
of English alcoholism, dub reggae, and pretentious literary
shout-n-speak.

3. Lead Belly: get anything by this foundational blues legend asap!

4. Bloc Party: "Silent Alarm" LP
These guys will be bigger than Franz Ferdinand, just you wait. Standard
modern rock in The Killers vein.

5. Fiery Furnaces: "Here Comes the Summer" single
The best goddamn song ever written by anyone, anywhere. Hyperbole? Yes.
Worth repeating 10-20 times? Absolutely.

6. Q and Not U: "Different Damage" LP
Came out a few years ago but still stands strong as one of the best
post-Fugazi DC post-punk albums of all time. No one else can rock a
harmonium like these hip-shaking scrubs from our nation's capital.

7. Kelly Clarkson: "Since You Been Gone" single
Look, I hate American Idol as much as the next angry hipster, but this
is just a goddamn GREAT song. I mean, TED LEO covered it! Close runner
up: Lindsey Lohan's "Over"-- hot video, and the song will soon be a
collector's item if her rumored coke habit gets any worse.

8. Dave Attell: anything this comic puts out is comedy gold. Catch him
live this summer!

9. Dan Allison: why not plug a co-worker? Check out his blog(s)--link
at right--for regular mp3 files of his ongoing sonic explorations. He's
a multi-instrumentalist, and a damn good one at that from what I can
tell.

10. Pavement: "Slanted and Enchanted" LP
You didn't think I'd rant all week about them and not plug them? This
is their original classic, much noisier and weirder (read: more like
The Fall than the Stones) than their later stuff, and you'll rack up
mucho indie bonus points if you name-check it in a dive bar with White
Stripes on the juke.