As I think we’re all aware, it’s getting harder and harder these days to find a complete album that’s enjoyable to listen to al the way through. With most people downloading single tracks from iTunes or Amazon (if they pay for them at all), the very concept of an album seems to be falling by the wayside. But every once in a while something does come along that is crafted as a whole, an immersive experience, even going so far as having intros, tracks blending together, skits, whatever. The Decemberists gave us a virtual rock opera last year with “The Hazards Of Love”, and that almost made my list. …Almost. Here’s what did (in no particular order). Thanks as always to Sam for showing me most of these.

1. “Hospice” by The Antlers
This is a perfect example of what I was talking about; all the songs ebb and flow into each other, often drifting off into washes of ambient noise and flutter only to resolve back into simple but poignant chord structures. The vocals are choked and hushed, the lyrics impenetrably personal and melancholy, the overall effect feeling a bit like this is a work of music-as-therapy. Haunting and beautiful, a cross between Antony & The Johnsons and Neutral Milk Hotel, this closes with a stunning and jarring transition between crescendo and epilogue, as if the singer has simply given all he can and just turns himself off and disappears right in front of you, leaving the album echoing in your emotions. Although this is best enjoyed as a whole, if I had to pick two stand-out tracks they would be: “Bear” and “Two”.

2. “Go God Go” by Fred
This album snuck up on me, offering up single track after single track until finally I realized the whole damned thing was good. This is a work of exuberance, a joyous romp, a rollercoaster of bright pop music that never rests on any laurels, instead always striving to surprise with the next twist of song arrangement or guest appearance by off-beat instrumentation. Stand-out tracks: “Fear” and “The Lights”.

3. “Lungs” by Florence + The Machine
A kick-ass soulful voice, big sprawling arrangements, a HARP as lead instrument? There really wasn’t much like this last year, but it’s not some quirky experiment, this is solid quality stuff. Setting aside the Ting-Ting-y single “Kiss With A Fist”, there’s barely a guitar within earshot - this is the sound of pop music done right, what all the Lady GaGas of the world COULD be doing with their time, but don’t really need to in order to sell records (records? what are those?). Stand-out tracks: “Cosmic Love” and “Dog Days Are Over”.

4. “vs. Children” by Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
Another album that’s really all one big thing, this sounds a bit like one woke up Zach Galifianakis from a dead sleep, hit “demo” on a cheap keyboard, thrust a newspaper in front of him, and forced him on the spot to come up with songs based on the headlines. The songs are wonderful little fables with clever wordplay and structure, blatant and specific lyrics, and simple but whistle-worthy melodies, every bit as home-made - and as GOOD - as anything by Baby Bird. Stand-out tracks: “Optimist vs. The Silent Alarm (When The Saints Go Marching In)” and “Traveling Salesman’s Young Wife Home Alone On Christmas In Montpelier, VT”.

5. “You Can Have What You Want” by Papercuts
Every once in a while something comes along that really does sound like it fell through a wormhole from long ago, and you wonder what has possessed this new young band to record it. Do you guys not know you could be selling a lot more songs if you just made whiny teen angst pop punk? Okay, nobody tell Papercuts, because for whatever reason they’ve decided to marry the hypnotic dreamy fuzz of Velvet Underground with Moog-y garage surf psychedelia, and we’re all better off because of it. Stand-out tracks: “Future Primitive” and “Dead Love”.

6. “Technicolor Health” by Harlem Shakes
Another work just bursting at the seams, this almost defies description, it’s just a big old good-mood machine perfectly suited for recovering from your post-Grammy woes. Equal parts quirky analog dance and folky mountain music, this always sounds as if it’s teetering on the edge of falling apart or crossing over into pretension, but it manages to reign itself into jumpy fun little mini-symphonies. Stand-out tracks: “Natural Man” and “Marian”.

7. “La Roux” by La Roux
This would be a guilty pleasure if it wasn’t so damned GOOD. Electronic club music infused with soulful singing and R&B chord changes, this is a simply irrepressible throwback to the New York club scene 80s when women quite possibly, however briefly, ruled the roost of pop music. Do you miss Yaz/Yazoo? Come check this out. Stand-out tracks: “Fascination” and “Bulletproof”.

(I originally had “Weathervanes” by Freelance Whales listed as #8, but apparently it’s not being released here in the States until later this year, so that gives me the opportunity to add the following)

8. “The Love Language” by The Love Language
This collection of beautiful piano-based anthems seems somewhat at cross-purposes. On the one hand, these are tried-and-true traditional chord progressions that Hank Williams would be proud to still see in heavy rotation. But on the other, all the vocals are recorded with over-the-top distortion, possibly in an attempt to still seem “quirky” and “indie” even though the guy really can sing and makes wonderful use of harmony. The overall effect sounds a bit like taking a Belle & Sebastian album, plugging it into Spinal Tap’s amp and cranking it up to 11. However, all the lo-fi in the world can’t disguise these well-crafted pop arrangements, plinky pianos and jingle bells creating a warm wintery tone to everything, until the whole album reaches a chorale crescendo that would make Frankie Valli proud. Short, sweet, heartachingly gorgeous, and highly recommended. Stand-out tracks: “Providence” and “Gray Court”.

9. “Dusk Till Dawn” by Breakestra
Yeah I’m not buying it. I know they’re trying to say this is brand-new music by current musicians using instruments and recording techniques from the heyday of funk and soul, but really, if it was that easy why haven’t we heard anything this good for 30 years? And yeah I know they went and put Chali 2na on a track to make it seem new, but come on, that’s just overdubbing. This is just a new compilation of previously unheard tracks from The Meters, The J.B.s, Funkadelic, Weather Report, Mandrill, The Blackbyrds etc. Because there’s no way anyone around these days could be this good and not walking away with every award in the music biz. Stand-out tracks: “Lowdown Stank” and “Back At The Boathouse”.

10. “Reservoir” by Fanfarlo
There was no Arcade Fire last year. And Matt was sad. Then Matt discovered that Arcade Fire had merely snuck over to London and recorded an album under the name Fanfarlo. …Or at least that’s what it sounds like. And so now Matt is happy. Stand-out tracks: “Luna” and “Drowning Men”.

Hello and happy holidays! It’s that time of the year again, when we SS-ers take a break fom being mere purveyors of fun recommendations, and resize our music-snob-critic hats for yet another year’s worth of “songs from this year that we loved but you may not have heard”. I’ll try to keep the accompanying text down to a dull roar this year…

01. The Airborne Toxic Event, “Sometime Around Midnight”
Sometimes I’m glad I’m not as tuned into the world of popular musical criticism as most (well, most who would go on to write something like this). Case in point, the way I was completely unaware of the whole Airborne / Pitchfork debate until after I’d already loved this song for far too long for any of that ridiculousness to make a difference. Rather than rehash that whole tete-a-TATE, I’ll simply say this: sometimes how you relate to a song has a lot to do with how you feel about yourself and your life at that moment. …Maybe that is in fact everything to do with how you relate to a song. For while I don’t disagree with anything that Pitchfork said about this song, I gotta say I heard all the same stuff and liked it anyway. And as a thought experiment, I’ve pictured this song as recorded by Coldplay (possible biggest hit song of the year?), or as recorded by Sum 41 (a laughable whiny mess well-deserving of Pitchfork’s disdain).

02. Florence And The Machine, “Cosmic Love”
Sam gave me F+TMs stuff early on this year and I fell in love with “Dog Days Are Over”, just knowing it would end up on my end-of-the-year list. Somewhere along the way I got to like this song better - perhaps only as a matter of sequence, maybe if I’d discovered this song first I would have eventually gravitated towards the other, I don’t know.

03. Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, “Broken Broken Broken Heart”
Lewis’ “Back When I Was 4″ was such a delightful discovery that I’ve perked up and listened to everything he’s done. This is yet another example of his whimsical quirky delivery of clever word imagery, a baring of the soul about not only not knowing what you have until it’s gone, but knowing that you drove it away.

04. Fred, “Fear”
The word “exuberant” comes to mind as this jumps out of my headphones and into the pleasure center of my brain. I’ve often bemoaned the way that most pop music is just an interesting first 30 seconds and then lather-rinse-repeat, no interesting bridge, no unexpected key change, never going anywhere. This happily blows that out of the water with an entertaining roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, always leaving me in a good mood once I’ve heard it.

05. Camera Obscura, “Swans”
Sam admonished me that this new Obscura album sounds just like the old one. Good, I replied, I loved the old one! Some more of that Spectorish girl-group fun I’ve been happy to see creep back into pop music over the past few years.

06. Chali 2na, “Comin’ Thru”
Sure, the state of pop rap music these days is in dire straits, as I’ve ranted about far too much elsewhere. But even if I do have to keep digging deeper and deeper to find good stuff, there’s thankfully still something waiting there to be found. In this case it’s a catchy bouncy track from one of my favorite rap vocalists’ second solo album.

07. Marilyn Manson, “We’re From America”
While I’ve always appreciated Manson’s artistry, creative spirit and willingness to push the envelope, his music has never really done it for me - and it seemed that the songs were the least of what he was going for anyway. But this one grabbed me, slightly more melodic than most of his other work, and seeming more in keeping with the spirit of The Stooges than some new goth sensibility.

08. The Antlers, “Bear”
This was an early find in 2009, an album that offered a complete enveloping melancholy experience. Obviously coming out of extremely personal experiences, this seemed like one of those good old artistic products that just had to be made, to get this stuff out of his head. This song in particular contains some pull-no-punches lyrics that may make one wince, but I for one am glad that I purchased this album and did my part to help his therapy along.

09. The Aliens, “Blue Mantle”
A year after we lost Richard Wright, “Those Who Were Once Beta” have given us this lasting tribute to his sound and the whole 60s psychedelia movement, with just a hint of the organ from Led Zep’s “Thank You” thrown in for 70s flavor.

10. The Submarines, “You, Me & The Bourgeoisie (Tonetiger remix)”
Okay so the song actually came out (and drove us nuts in commercials) last year. But this remix jumped out and surprised me, switching the time signature and phrasing around to achieve a whole new slightly hip-hop feel to it.

11. Papercuts, “Future Primitive”
This was a last-minute addition to my list, a hypnotic slice of surf / psychedelic nostalgia that I simply could not get out of my head. There. Now it’s out.

12. Marina & The Diamonds, “I Am Not A Robot”
This might be my favorite song on the list, a spacey angelic pop song that is tragically not yet available here in the States.

13. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, “Optimist vs. The Silent Alarm (When The Saints Go Marching In)”
Another album that I loved as a whole, giving us all the quirky melancholy sadly lacking on recent eels projects.

14. Throw Me The Statue, “Ancestors”
Another song that just chugs along and then remembers to stop and give your ear something different here and there. Breaking off into a ukulele? Really? Cool!

15. Gin Wigmore, “Dying Day”
Another song that is not yet available here in the US, there’s nothing new in the songwriting but her voice is stellar heartbreaking stuff.

16. The Grouch & Eligh, “All In (feat. Gift Of Gab & Pigeon John)”
Okay so yes, it’s one of those damned songs with a thousand “featuring” subtitles I can’t stand. But in this case it works, each guest vocalist coming up with his own way of adapting to the fast double-time tempo. Gift Of Gab (of course) embraces the challenge most elegantly, his non-stop style perfectly suited for this kind of groove.

17. The High Strung, “Bad With My Hands”
I didn’t think this would end up on my list, but then it just kept popping up in my head and I had to reward it. This is the sound of a Phil Spector parade going by your first-floor window, waking you up at 2 AM. The single lyrical metaphor pays off well, and in today’s world of the simpler-than-simple chord progression (if any), I adore the way this song takes measure after measure to build up its chord changes to their final resolution. This will most likely not mean anything to anyone else, but what it reminds me most of is Toots And The Maytals’ song “Watermelon” - a song that really only cycles through its progression a couple of times because it takes so long to get there. Well worth the wait.

18. Soulsavers, “Can’t Catch The Train”
Sam gave me this and I immediately latched onto this dirge. Lanegan’s voice conjures up Cohen and Dylan, perfect for the overall cold dark midwinter tinge to this song.

19. Terribly Empty Pockets, “A-Okay”
This was a fun little EP full of very well-produced songs, this being my favorite. Unfortunately the beauty of this track is slightly marred by what I can only think are mastering issues. Over-compression results in some odd volume shifts, and there are a couple of disembodies clicks (perhaps upload / download issues?). But overall, a wonderfully anthemic end to my year in song.

Sorry for the delay in posting this, folks. Turns out I’ve had to unfortunately deal with a few of my rough, tough, existential fears over the last couple of months, which is one of the reasons why it’s been so quiet around these parts. Anyway, onto the list — I’ll keep it short & sweet:

1. Elvis Costello, “Veronica”
   This is the most deceptively peppy song I’ve ever heard. Co-written by Paul McCartney, it’s an absolutely heartbreaking portrait of losing someone to a form of dementia like Alzheimer’s.
2. Manic Street Preachers, “Ocean Spray”
   The first song that singer James Dean Bradfield wrote for the Manics is their most direct single ever. In it, he details sitting at his mother’s bedside while she dies in hospital, pleading for her to “stay awake.” This song will level you, especially if you’ve ever had to watch a loved one deteriorate in a hospital.
3. David Bowie, “My Death”
   Every once in a while, I have a multi-day case of insomnia thanks to a dream about my death. Been a while since I’ve had one, but hearing Bowie’s song again today will likely mean a sleepless holiday season for me.
4. Eels, “The Stars Shine In The Sky Tonight”
   E unfortunately seems to specialize in elegiac laments, and this number from the often overlooked Blinking Lights and Other Revelations packs a whallop: never has the feeling of being left behind after the loss of a loved one been more vivid.
5. Tom Waits, “The Earth Died Screaming”
   Waits’ description of the apocalypse is as unsettling as the arrangement.
6. David Bowie, “Always Crashing The Same Car”
   The fear of getting into an accident is the biggest reason I finally got my driver’s license at 32.
7. Pearl Jam, “Hey Foxymophandlemama, That’s Me”
   The only really creepy song on my list, PJ veered into “Revolution 9″ territory with this nightmare-inducing sonic pastiche. I first heard it late at night while listening to my vinyl copy of Vitalogy for the first, and, until compiling this list, only time. Unsettling stuff.

Download: Elvis Costello, “Veronica” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Manic Street Preachers, “Ocean Spray” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: David Bowie, “My Death” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Eels, “The Stars Shine In The Sky Tonight” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Tom Waits, “The Earth Died Screaming” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: David Bowie, “Always Crashing The Same Car” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Pearl Jam, “Hey Foxymophandlemama, That’s Me” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download all the songs in a handy ZIP file:

Download: “Nachtmares!” (ZIP)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

We all have things that scare us.

C’mon — you know as well as I do that that “thing” underneath the fridge is definitely scary. Or maybe somebody like Glen Beck or Dennis Kucinich makes you tremble in fear. Or maybe it’s just green tea that makes you faint.

Whatever the case, the Uncles have you covered! We’re peeling back out own inner protective layers to reveal some of our own neuroses and fears, as realized in songs written and performed by other people (who obviously eavesdropped on our deepest, darkest thoughts to pen the lyrics — scary!).

Enjoy?

• Onkel Rudi’s “That which scares me… scares me!”
• Uncle Sam’s “Nachtmares!”
• U.N.K.L.E. Matt’s list coming soon!
• The Man(del) from UNKLE’s list coming soon!

Sure, there are things that scare me - plenty of ‘em. I’m just not sure how many have been summed up in songs that haven’t already been claimed by my fellow Uncles.

But there are things that scare me - death, dismemberment and loss being the big three. I try not to let fear rule my life and daily existence. Imagine me, a person who loves to ski down rock chutes, through tight stands of trees, off of cliffs into steep, snow-laden bowls, being so overcome by fear that I hesitate during a crucial point in my descent? That could - and likely would - be lethal. Same thing goes for my go-for-broke descents on my marathon bike rides: I can’t dwell on the potential for harm, I simply must go.

Fear is just part of living. It’s not the biggest controlling factor in my life, but it’s there - and it’s here, in this playlist, so enjoy!

1. “Kid Fears” - Indigo Girls (from In With The Out Crowd)
   Fear: loss of innocence
   This song is a bit of a catch-all of common childhood fears and neuroses. I remember seeing the Indigo Girls perform this song at the 1991 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, with David Wilcox singing the refrain that Michael Stipe sang on the album version. This song speaks on many levels, but mostly seems to be a plea to bring back the simple, primal fears of childhood as a replacement for the complex issues of adulthood.
2. “Taking It All To Tennessee” - Vance Gilbert (from Somerville Live)
   Fear: losing touch with close friends
   Having a best friend move away is tragic, no matter your age. This song was written in response to Vance’s close friend, Ellis Paul, moving to Tennessee from Massachusetts. It’s one of those songs that lays out the raw feelings of hurt and betrayal that, while often irrational, do exist but get buried under a sense of obligation not to hurt any feelings.
3. “Mother” - John Lennon & Elephant’s Memory (from Christmas Present)
   Fear: not reconciling with one’s parents
   My relationship with my parents isn’t what many would call good. Then again, few can say that they have 100% wonderful relationships with their parents, so I’m certainly not alone. John Lennon had a very tenuous relationship with his natural parents. His mother, Julia, was not the best mother, eventually ceding parental responsibilities to her sister, Mimi. While Julia taught John to play the banjo and guitar, she wasn’t a close parent, and was killed when John was 17. His father, Alf, was an itinerant sailor who drifted in and out of his son’s life. And this song, written while Lennon was under the treatment of Arthur Janov and his “primal scream” therapy, is an open-book plea to his departed/estranged parents.
4. “The Sun Is Burning” - Simon & Garfunkel (from Old Friends)
   Fear: nuclear holocaust
   When I was young, there was a TV movie that raised the hackles of many parents across America: The Day After. This movie depicted a nuclear attack and the after-effects of such devastation. Life was changed in a quick, blinding flash, and those who didn’t die often suffered a more gruesome, painful descent into death. This song, one of the earliest from Simon & Garfunkel, paints a rosy picture of life that is brought to an end by a nuclear bomb.
5. “Psycho Killer” - Talking Heads (demo version)
   Fear: being the victim of a murderous rampage
   David Byrne is a weird dude - cool, but weird. I tend to like almost everything he does, both musically and socially (he’s a huge proponent of cycling over automobile as urban personal transit, amongst other things), but he’s still a weird guy. And this, one of the earliest songs by the Talking Heads, is proof positive. Only RISD could produce this kind of warped sensibility, right? This is the demo recording they made for CBS Records, back in the day.
6. “Let The Devil In” - TV on the Radio (from Return to Cookie Mountain)
   Fear: the devil
   An eerie tune by a group that scares me: so talented, yet not always able to reel in the talent to make something that’s truly lovely. This song is scary, in and of itself, so it all fits.
7. “Boris The Spider” - The Who (from A Quick One)
   Fear: arachnophobia
   John Entwistle’s classic tune about a curious spider named Boris. He meets a sticky end.
8. “Careful With That Axe, Eugene” - Pink Floyd (from Atom Heat Mother Goes On The Road)
   Fear: dismemberment by axe blade
   Roger Waters has always had a rather…. obscure and frightening sensibility to his songwriting. While much of it has centered around the death of his father during World War II, some of his early writing for Pink Floyd involved mistakes that had tragic results. The roots of this one-line song are often disputed: some think it’s a reference to how Jerry Garcia lost part of his finger, others think that it’s a reference to a horror film. Whatever the case, Waters’ blood-curdling scream at the mid-point of the song is one for the ages. This performance is from a live concert in Montreaux, Switzerland, in 1970.

Download: “Kid Fears” - Indigo Girls (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Taking It All To Tennessee” - Vance Gilbert (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Mother” - John Lennon & Elephant’s Memory (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “The Sun Is Burning” - Simon & Garfunkel (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Psycho Killer” - Talking Heads (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Let The Devil In” - TV on the Radio (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Boris The Spider” - The Who (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Careful With That Axe, Eugene” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download all the songs in a handy ZIP file:

Download: “‘That which scares me… scares me!” (ZIP)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Vacations and other deadlines have conspired to make me late this month, kids — apologies for the delay.

In keeping with the theme (and in an effort to finally wrap up our September lists), I’m going to make this quick: my goal was to assemble a list of songs that were just short enough to leave you wanting more, songs that made you skip back & listen to them again right away. Here we go:

1. Ten Minute Turns, “Stars Burn OUT”
   A perfect combination of dusky atmosphere, foot-tapping melody, and a stirring build in voices and instruments to the song’s end.
2. Beastie Boys, “Super Disco Breakin’”
   Hello Nasty got off to a hell of a start with this 2-minute shot of city-street adrenaline. Features one of my favorite Beasties lines ever: “Sometimes I like to brag/Sometimes I’m soft spoken/When I’m in Holland I eat the pannenkoeken.”
3. Willie Nelson, “I Never Cared For You”
   From Willie Nelson’s 1998 collaboration with Daniel Lanois, Teatro. Lanois hypnotically transforms Willie’s devastating country oldie with a spare but atmospheric arrangement, a Latin-informed beat, and lovely & haunting harmony vocals from the unparalleled Emmylou Harris. Worth multiple listens.
4. Blur, “Song 2″
   Before it became a staple of touchdown and goal celebrations in sports arenas, it was the breakout single in the US from Blur’s self-titled 1997 album.
5. Elastica, “Generator”
   I didn’t discover Elastica until after frontwoman Justine Frischmann had broken up with beau Damon Albarn (yep, from Blur) and the band was about ready to implode. The tension in the band’s ranks made for some explosive, intensely catchy punk songs, and this is my favorite of the bunch from their swan song The Menace.
6. The White Stripes, “Hotel Yorba”
   This garage-folk number from White Blood Cells introduced me to and got me hooked on the White Stripes. Don’t think Jack White’s been ever catchier.
7. The Two Man Gentleman Band, “Rabbit Foot Stomp”
   Some practical advice from the 2 Gents. Great, now I’m hungry, too.
8. Florence And The Machine, “Hospital Beds”
   This Cold War Kids cover (I’ve never actually heard the original) was one of the first FATM songs I heard, and I was instantly captivated by Florence’s voice. The song ends just as it reaches fever pitch, too, which left me wanting much, much more.
9. Bill Withers, “Ain’t No Sunshine”
   When evaluating songs for this list, I was shocked at how short this classic is. Never gets old.
10. Eels, “Ant Farm”
    Picking a favorite of Mark Oliver Everett’s short, memorable pop songs was tough, but Lisa Germano’s violin vaulted this heartfelt folk ballad to the top of that long list.
11. Ramones, “I Remember You”
    Punk balladry at its best. I saw U2 cover it in NYC shortly after Joey’s death, too — a magic moment.
12. Blink-182, “What’s My Age Again”
    Early-twenties confusion never sounded so fun.
13. Sam Cooke, “Wonderful World”
    I think this may be my favorite pop song of all time. Really.
14. The Pipettes, “I Love You”
    This song’s Spector-like economy and punch actually defined my personal criteria for this month’s challenge: it ends just as the song feels like it’s come to a boil, and it continues to get loads of repeat listens.

Download: Ten Minute Turns, “Stars Burn OUT” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Beastie Boys, “Super Disco Breakin’” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Willie Nelson, “I Never Cared For You” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Blur, “Song 2″ (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Elastica, “Generator” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The White Stripes, “Hotel Yorba” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Two Man Gentleman Band, “Rabbit Foot Stomp” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Florence And The Machine, “Hospital Beds” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Bill Withers, “Ain’t No Sunshine” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Eels, “Ant Farm” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ramones, “I Remember You” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Blink-182, “What’s My Age Again” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Sam Cooke, “Wonderful World” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Pipettes, “I Love You” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download everything in a handy ZIP file:

Download: “Short Cuts (ZIP)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Let’s keep this brief, shall we?

Since Mandel and Sam decided that the side two medley from Abbey Road was out, I also disqualified using any of the “Fingertips” from They Might Be Giants’ Apollo 18 (such a great album, purposely built to be played in shuffle mode).

So I bring you 18 short songs. Some lack lyrics, but all are complete and lovely in their own right.

1. “Our Prayer” - The Beach Boys
   Such a lovely opening to an album (SMiLE!) that never saw the light of day - at least not as a Beach Boys affair. Dig the interwoven voices of the Wilson brothers, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston as they sing a lovely little prayer.
2. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” - John Denver
   Old campfire song standards work, and this song, from Denver’s final studio album before his untimely death, is one that’ll stick with you and take you back…. way back.
3. “Tip-Toe Thru’ The Tulips With Me” -Tiny Tim
   The falsetto of Tiny Tim kept the vaudeville show tune alive for the 1960s generation.
4. “Eruption” - Van Halen
   EVH’s guitar acrobatics here are…. just plain WOW.
5. “A Hard Day’s Night” - Peter Sellers
   Before he recorded The Beatles, George Martin’s oversaw a lot of comedy recordings by groups like The Goons. Peter Sellers was a member of said comedy troupe, and The Beatles were huge fans of Sellers, so the natural crossover was for Sellers to put his touch on this Lennon-McCartney nugget.
6. “Rave On” - Buddy Holly
   Buddy Holly made the most of the time he had on this mortal coil, and “Rave On” is a song that influenced many rock acts to follow.
7. “Not Fade Away” - The Rolling Stones
   This early Stones nugget shows sonic influence from “Rave On,” don’t you think? I do. (And it’s kind of a trick question, as this song is a Buddy Holly song.)
8. “Johnny Saucepan” - Moxy Früvous
   A tongue twister of a song from one of my favorite folk groups.
9. “Mercedes Benz” - Janis Joplin
   One of Janis’ best: a politically charged message delivered with a drunken-yet-immediate fury by one of the best soul singers of the past 50 years.
10. “If You’ve Got The Money I’ve Got The Time” - Willie Nelson
    In just over two minutes, Willie proposes lots of fun things to do on a night out.
11. “Rejected Commercial Jingles: Twister®” - Paul And Storm
    This is what it is….
12. “Shoehorn With Teeth” - They Might Be Giants
    While I exempted the “Fingertips” from this list, I couldn’t omit all the TMBG canon.
13. “Bookends Theme” - Simon & Garfunkel
    “Time it was/and what a time it was….” Such a sad lament. This is the mono mix, which is very, very tough to find.
14. “Prologue” - Kraftwerk
    Kraftwerk’s Tour de France work netted some lovely, short sonic statements.
15. “People Are Strange” - Brave Combo
    I doubt that Morrison and Manzarek envisioned this song as a strident polka. But Brave Combo sure did.
16. “T.V.” - Cheryl Wheeler
    If you need some reasons not to watch, Cheryl Wheeler will provide them.
17. “If Only” - The Kooks
    British power pop can be quick and tidy, too - take that, Oasis!
18. “Song For The Asking” - Simon & Garfunkel
    Yes, it’s a second S&G song, but a perfect closer.

Enjoy these - then go out and listen to Pink Floyd’s “Echoes” or something similarly long.

Download: “Our Prayer” - The Beach Boys (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” - John Denver (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Tip-Toe Thru’ The Tulips With Me” - Tiny Tim (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Eruption” - Van Halen (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “A Hard Day’s Night” - Peter Sellers (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Rave On” - Buddy Holly (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Not Fade Away” - The Rolling Stones (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Johnny Saucepan” - Moxy Früvous (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Mercedes Benz” - Janis Joplin (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “If You’ve Got The Money I’ve Got The Time” - Willie Nelson (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Rejected Commercial Jingles: Twister®” - Paul And Storm (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Shoehorn With Teeth” - They Might Be Giants (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Bookends Theme” - Simon & Garfunkel (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Prologue” - Kraftwerk (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “People Are Strange” - Brave Combo (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “T.V.” - Cheryl Wheeler (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “If Only” - The Kooks (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Song For The Asking” - Simon & Garfunkel (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download all the songs in a handy ZIP file:

Download: “‘Brevity In Song” (ZIP)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

This month’s list consists of fourteen songs that clock at about two minutes or less…nuggets of ear-delicious goodness ranging from TV and theme park themes to monologues to mellow album closers. Enjoy!

57.5 BARS by Call Florence Pow
I’d like to nominate this song as the theme song for this month’s playlist theme. I found this song years ago. I don’t remember how I found about these guys, but it’s most self-explantory 1:41 of power pop you’ll ever find. The lyrics are about as straight-forward as you can get and on top of it all, you get a crazy Latin bridge in the middle. Nifty!

CBS’s GREAT MOMENTS theme
The network jingle is an art that’s woefully lost. These songs made you feel that all the shows on network’s lineup and their stars were part of one big happy family. They also helped to ingrain that network’s tagline in your head be it “Still the One!” or “Let’s All Be There!” The 80s were the pinnacle of these mini-masterpieces and ebullient rah-rahs calling you to watch the Big Three. One of my favorites is this 1982 jingle for CBS’s fall lineup. It made you excited that new episodes of The Jeffersons and Magnum P.I. were on the way and then-new hits like Newhart were about to premiere!

NEW HORIZONS theme
In December, I included one of the wonderful songs from EPCOT Center’s original lineup of attractions from 1982. These songs while cheesy exuded an optimism that was quite typical of the 80s Reagan view of the future. This followup in 1983 for the much-missed EPCOT attraction “Horizons” is no different. Sweeping strings, a children’s choir, and hopeful lyrics made you think, “Hey, who cares about the recession and impending nuclear war? The 21st century is gonna be a-ok!

THE GOLDEN GIRLS theme
Upon hearing the first few notes of this song, anybody who grew up in the 80s will think of Saturday nights and America’s favorite horny old grandmas. This is one of the most recognizable theme songs of that era and is one song that pretty much any gay man can sing for you note-for-note. Most people probably don’t know that this song had a previous life as a single for Andrew “Lonely Boy” Gold in the 70s. It’s worth tracking the down the original with its extra verses and rarely-heard bridge. RIP, Bea and Estelle!

CARTIER by Elton John
Clocking in at less than a minute, this is one of Elton John’s shortest songs. He did this one on a whim as a tribute to one of his favorite stores…Cartier. This “commercial” for the world-renowned French jeweler was a B-side for his 1980 single “Sartorial Eloquence.” Look up the a capella version of in Youtube and you can find an a performance of the song that Elton did on Tom Snyder’s old “Tomorrow” show.

LIKE A VIRGIN by Bai Ling
One of my favorite short-lived reality shows was VH1’s “But Can They Sing?” This featured celebrities like Antonio Sabato Jr. and Morgan Fairchild singing in an “American Idol”-style singing competition. On top of all this, it was hosted by Ahmet Zappa. Needless to say, I was hooked from the first bum note. This performance from the premiere episode was from one of my favorite contestants on the show…Bai Ling. She tackles Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” As with most singing competition shows, it’s a truncated version of the original, but boy…it will stick with you…for a long, long time. Wing has nothing on Bai Ling!

WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO DO? by the cast of South Park
Speaking of Wing, here’s a number from one of my all-time favorite movies: “South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.” The movie was a near-perfect parody of Disney animated musicals. Here’s the crazy thing…as hilarious as the movie was, the music was REALLY good as it stood on its own and is as good and sometimes better than many of Disney’s music classics. Marc Shaiman (who also composed the music for the wonderful “Hairspray” musical) and Trey Parker wrote this ode to the legendary figure skater who we learn is much more than just an Olympic medalist.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME FEEL BETTER by Linus of Hollywood
Now, I’m not a beer drinker…I hate the taste of the stuff…but this is one of the most heartfelt love songs to the drink. It’s also probably the best use of beer bottles in a pop song…EVER.

LAMAZE by Harry Nilsson
The prettiest song ever written about giving labor. This nearly-lost song was included as a bonus track in the re-release of Nilsson’s classic “Nilsson Schmilsson.” While many know Nilsson for his stirring covers of “Without You” and “Everybody’s Talkin’”, a lot of people didn’t realize he had quite the sense of humor. I propose we send this song to natural birth coaches everywhere!

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? by William Shatner
On the other side of the spectrum is this monologue by William Shatner. When I first bought his Ben Folds-produced album “Has Been,” I was expecting a goofy novelty album but what I instead found were some interesting musical pieces with very insightful lyrics read by the former T.J. Hooker. This one is probably one of the most personal pieces on the album recounting his reaction when he found his wife Nerine dead at the bottom of their pool. Very eerie and chilling…

YOUR MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION by Ben Folds Five
This piece was from Ben Folds Five’s final album “The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner.” The album found them getting into prog-rock territory and expanding beyond the raucous piano-bass-drums feel of their debut. This track doesn’t feature any vocals from Ben Folds but instead centers around a rambling answer machine message that Ben’s dad left. To this day, I still have no idea what the hell it’s about…

JUNK by Paul McCartney
A wistful song from Paul McCartney’s first solo album. Beautiful in its simplicity and doesn’t overstay its welcome…an often overlooked gem in the Macca canon.

THE WHOLE WORLD AND YOU by Tally Hall
The newest song on this list…Tally Hall was featured prominently in my best of ‘08 list and this shows the band’s diversity as they throw a bit of Dixieland jazz into the mix. Keyboardist Andrew Horowitz takes over the lead vocals in this song which was recently featured in an ad campaign for Crayola. A good pick-me-up of a tune that reminds all of us that “there’s no one better than you!”

SOUVENIR by Billy Joel
Gonna close this out with a song that Billy Joel used to use as his final encore song for years…This was the final track on his sophomore Columbia release, “Streetlife Serenader.” While the album is one of his most uneven, this short coda to the collection of songs is one its highlights. His live performances of this song would be almost always be capped off by his very helpful reminder to his audiences: “Don’t take any shit from anybody!” I concur, Billy…unless it’s from me with my oddball song selections for my Selective Service playlists!

Download: Call Florence Pow, “5.75 Bars” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: CBS’s Great Moments theme (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: New Horizons theme (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Golden Girls theme (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Elton John, “Cartier” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Bai Ling, “Like A Virgin” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Cast of South Park, “What Would Brian Boitano Do?” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Linus of Hollywood, “Thank You For Making Me Feel Better” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Harry Nilsson, “Lamaze” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: William Shatner, “What Have You Done?” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ben Folds Five, “Your Most Valuable Possession” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Paul McCartney, “Junk” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Tally Hall, “The Whole World And You” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Billy Joel, “Souvenir” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

ZIP file of all songs will be posted tomorrow!

For those who demand quantity over quality, here you go - a selection of songs all less than a minute long! In the interests of maintaining listenability I’ve excluded hundreds of intros / skits / interludes etc, choosing instead to focus on pieces that, while short, still establish their own identity as songs. So here we go, strap yourself in and feel the Gs: thirty-four songs in twenty-five minutes, twenty seconds!

1. The Dodos, “Eyelids” (mp3)
2. Black Flag, “Wasted” (mp3)
3. De La Soul, “A Little Bit Of Soap” (mp3)
4. Mellow, “Codename Dragonfly” (mp3)
5. Why?, “Twenty-Eight” (mp3)
6. The Flaming Lips, “The Spontaneous Combustion Of John” (mp3)
7. Monty Python, “I Bet You They Won’t Play This Song On The Radio” (mp3)
8. The Bulgarian Voices, “Stoyan Ide Ot Grad Zarigrad” (mp3)
9. The Undertones, “Casbah Rock” (mp3)
10. The Stone Roses, “Elizabeth My Dear” (mp3)
11. The Polyphonic Spree, “The Crash” (mp3)
12. Porn Theatre Ushers, “Nabo Himself” (mp3)
13. Sublime, “Drunk Drivin’” (mp3)
14. Fight Like Apes, “Megameanie” (mp3)
15. The Beatles, “Moonlight Bay” (mp3)
16. The Art Of Noise, “Nothing Was Going To Stop Them Then, Anyway” (mp3)
17. Consolidated, “There Is A Mountain Filled With Blood” (mp3)
18. The White Stripes, “Passive Manipulation” (mp3)
19. Minor Threat, “Small Man, Big Mouth” (mp3)
20. Princess Superstar, “Blue Beretta” (mp3)
21. The Red Elvises, “Follow The Yellow Brick Road” (mp3)
22. Ween, “Old Man Thunder” (mp3)
23. Neutral Milk Hotel, “Seven” (mp3)
24. Richard Cheese, “99 Luftballoons” (mp3)
25. Jenny Owen Youngs, “First Person” (mp3)
26. Stiff Little Fingers, “Here We Are Nowhere” (mp3)
27. Men Without Hats, “Bright Side Of The Sun” (mp3)
28. Michael Andrews, “Cellar Door” (mp3)
29. Run-DMC, “Son Of Byford” (mp3)
30. Primus, “Sathington Willoby” (mp3)
31. Deerhoof, “The Eyebright Bugler” (mp3)
32. Pink Floyd, “New Machine, Pt. 2″ (mp3)
33. The Books, “PS” (mp3)
34. Raymond Scott, “In The Hall Of The Mountain Queen” (mp3)

ZIP file of all songs will be posted tomorrow!

This month, Selective Service has done a bit of downsizing. To help those of you with ADD, we’ve each put together a list of short songs — songs that are less than 2 1/2 minutes long (songs from The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” side two suite could NOT be used).

Uncle Sam asked me to do the writeup of this and at first I was offended thinking it was a knock on my smaller stature, but I got over that and thought, “who better to write up about this list than me?”

I mean, one of my favorite kinds of foods are mini-foods. White Castles, Mini-pizzas, KFC snackers… these songs are like the equivalent of those. They’re hors d’oeuvres of music… melodic sliders… tapas tunes… mini-morsels that are packed with big taste!

So, get your mouse and aural appetite ready, but there are a lot of songs to download this month…behold this month’s lists that prove that great things can come in small packages!

• The Man(del) from UNCLE’s “Bite-Sized Bliss”
• UNKLE Matt’s “The Snippettes”
• Onkel Rudi’s “Brevity in Song”
• Uncle Sam’s “Short Cuts”