As I sit here thinking about the angle I want to take in writing about my latest obsession, a million thoughts race through my head. How do bands come up with their names? Can I finish this article in the next few days? What will I write about next? Have I run out of good ideas for my site? Will I eventually lose interest in music? Why am I never satisfied with the music I have?

I forgot to mention that when I’m stressed out, my mind refuses to shut off. It bounces randomly from thought to thought, unable to focus on anything. As a result, I worry a lot and accomplish very little. So if the previous paragraph hasn’t already given it away, I’m a little overwhelmed with life right now (which, coincidentally, explains the recent lack of activity on my site). But at least it has given me an angle: during stressful times, I rely on music more than ever. Especially relaxing music.

Luckily, a few weeks ago I stumbled upon Hurray For the Riff Raff, an amazing little band from New Orleans. Their debut album, It Don’t Mean I Don’t Love You, is the perfect escape from a stressful world. It sounds timeless – like what music from the south must’ve sounded like at the turn of the 20th century.

After listening to the gorgeous intro of “Daniella” for the first time, I knew I had found my next obsession. The song, which starts with a simple banjo riff and beautiful vocal harmony, melts away all my problems (at least for a few minutes). “Junebug Waltz,” another one of my favorites, plods along at a snail’s pace, reminding me of a hot, muggy summer afternoon.

Both songs are posted below for your enjoyment. If you like what you hear, I highly recommend purchasing the entire album – it’s fantastic. I’ll definitely have it on repeat over the next few weeks as school continues to bear down on me. With that said, I’ll try my best to post again relatively soon, but can’t promise anything.

• Hurray For the Riff Raff – Daniella
• Hurray For the Riff Raff – Junebug Waltz

Despite listening to an insane amount of music, I have yet to encounter the “perfect” album. To be clear, I define the “perfect” album as one containing absolutely no filler, sounding best when played in its entirety.

This honestly surprises me. With all the music I listen to, I thought there’d be at least one album in my collection that fits the bill. But no. Even my all-time favorites contain a few tracks I could live without. In 2008, Frightened Rabbit came pretty close with The Midnight Organ Fight. And in 2007, Menomena’s Friend and Foe flirted with perfection. But as good as these albums are, I still skip a few songs on each.

I’m starting to think I should lower my expectations. With the music industry fully embracing the internet, focus has shifted from albums to singles. Pretty soon, I envision some musicians abandoning the album format altogether. After all, if most people download only one or two tracks, why waste time and money recording the entire album?

Maybe I shouldn’t be so cynical. Every now and then I stumble upon an album or band that renews my faith in the music business. This time it’s 3 Rounds and a Sound, the stellar debut album from Blind Pilot, a tiny band from Portland, Oregon that apparently only tours via bicycle.

Musically speaking, 3 Rounds and a Sound breaks little new ground. I’d describe the album as a straightforward mix of rock, pop, and folk. But what it lacks in complexity it makes up for with raw emotion, beauty, and catchiness. Further proof that the best music is simple and direct.

And while 3 Rounds and a Sound still isn’t perfect, it’s damn close. I can’t remember the last time I heard such a confident, effortless debut. Maybe Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago. Anyways, I’ve posted two tracks from the album below: “Oviedo” (the opener) and “3 Rounds and a Sound” (the closer). Pick up the rest of the album to find out what happens in between. You won’t be disappointed.

• Blind Pilot – Oviedo
• Blind Pilot – 3 Rounds and a Sound

PS – I want “3 Rounds and a Sound” played at my wedding, along with Beirut’s “Postcards From Italy.” So romantic.

So I have a theory that there are two basic responses to breaking up with someone: sadness or anger. The first reaction produces the kind of music I normally listen to – sorrowful, introspective stuff – while the second produces punk music.

And I support this theory with the following observation. I’ve never really warmed to punk music. The reason for this is simple: I’m a moper. My response to most situations (including break-ups) is sadness. I rarely get mad – unless I happen to be driving. As a result, I have a hard time identifying with angry, bitter music.

Or so I thought. A few years ago I stumbled upon Deja Entendu by Brand New. While I remember cringing at some of the louder, heavier tracks (especially the ones with screaming), I really enjoyed the album’s slower songs. Especially “The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot” and “Play Crack the Sky.”

But lately I’ve been warming to the entire album (including the screaming). It’s just too good – amazing hooks, epic riffs, and heartbreaking lyrics abound. It took a few years, but I’ve finally come to appreciate both the quiet and loud moments of Deja Entendu.

The song posted below isn’t necessarily my favorite track from the album, but it features the band sounding both quiet and loud. There’s even some screaming!

Note: For those of you worried about the direction of my blog, rest assured. At my core, I’m still a moper (and always will be). But every now and then I feel like screaming and rocking out.

• Brand New – Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis

After five months of constantly listening to Frightened Rabbit’s Midnight Organ Fight, I still find myself untangling its contradictions and unraveling its many layers. Which is quite amazing considering my hyperactive listening habits.

I’ve finally figured out why I like the album so much: it is, more or less, the soundtrack to my life. It simultaneously encompasses the good times and the bad, the highs and lows. Despite this contradiction, or maybe because of it, Midnight Organ Fight always inspires. It’s a strange phenomenon: the louder I play it, the better I feel.

Like most great albums, Midnight Organ Fight reveals itself in layers. It took nearly a dozen listens before I could distinguish individual songs. Had I written this review back then, my favorite tracks probably would’ve been “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms” and “Poke.” Now I can’t decide. My favorite songs seem to change every time I listen to the album.

Frightened Rabbit hails from Scotland, a fact immediately confirmed by Scott Hutchison’s vocals. Thankfully, his accent is noticeable but not overwhelming. In fact, it often adds an extra dimension to the music. I love the way he stretches out random words and phrases. At times, his voice nearly buckles under the weight of emotion.

The lyrics inhabit the gray area between breaking up and getting back together (which helps explain all the contradiction). On “The Twist” Hutchison sings, “It’s the night, I can be who you like / And I’ll quietly leave before it gets light.” Later, he asserts, “I need company / I need human heat.” But then on “Keep Yourself Warm” he belts out, “It takes more than fucking someone you don’t know to keep warm.” So which is it? Anyone who’s ever inhabited this gray area knows it’s actually both.

Last but certainly not least is the music. The wailing guitars in “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms,” the hypnotic piano melody at the end of “The Twist,” the slow steady build in “Backwards Walk,” and the simpleness of “Poke.” It’s overwhelming at first, but with repeated listens the layers start peeling apart. Soon, you will find yourself coming back for even more of exactly the same.

• Frightened Rabbit – The Twist
• Frightened Rabbit – Backwards Walk

Download three more Frightened Rabbit songs for free here. I highly recommend “The Modern Leper” and “Head Rolls Off.”

Let me start by saying that I can’t believe I haven’t posted on these guys yet. I’ve been listening to them almost continuously for the past 3 months. I honestly don’t know what happened.

Horse Feathers is two-man band from Portland, Oregon. Their music reminds me a lot of my (brief) visit to the city last summer: serenely beautiful, yet overcast and dreary most of the time. These are rainy day songs through and through.

Intense string pieces and delicate acoustic melodies create an interesting juxtaposition. The resulting music sounds passionately resigned. Lyrics like “It’s in our blood to watch each day go by” reinforce this feeling (and also resonate with me at this particular moment in my life).

Their debut album Words Are Dead, released back in 2006, hasn’t gotten much attention, which I can’t quite understand. It’s a remarkably solid release; I always listen to the album in its entirety. If I had to pick a favorite song, I’d ask for permission to choose several, it’s that good.

If you enjoy the two tracks posted below, I highly recommend checking out the entire album. You won’t be disappointed.

• Horse Feathers – In Our Blood
• Horse Feathers – Like Lavender

Consider this the calm before the storm. As in I’ve been listening to tons of great new music and now have plenty to write about. I might as well start with the best. The band is Deer Tick, a project of 21-year-old singer/songwriter John McCauley.

His debut album War Elephant is slated for release on September 4th, yet I inexplicably picked up a used copy of it a few days ago. So for the first time ever, I am posting about something that has yet to be released. Which should tell you something about the quality of Deer Tick.

On the band’s website, McCauley writes, “The music of Deer Tick is something that should speak for itself. Otherwise, I’m not doing my job very well.” After several listens to War Elephant, I can honestly say that McCauley is doing his job extremely well.

If I must speak for his music, I’d say it sounds like a raspy Dylan on vocals with The Cardinals backing him up. The lyrics are exceptional and the melodies infectious. Since I’m lazy, I’ll classify it as alt-country, but it’s so much more. Just give it a listen and see for yourself.

• Deer Tick – Standing At the Threshold
• Deer Tick – Dirty Dishes
• Deer Tick – Nevada

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the first great album of 2007. I present to you Friend and Foe by Menomena. And quite frankly, I’m obsessed. These guys are amazing. I think I’ll let their music do the talking. Start with “Wet and Rusting” to whet the appetite (enjoy the pun?). Move on to “Muscle’n Flo” and if by song’s end you aren’t completely hooked, finish with the stunning “Rotten Hell.”

Friend and Foe is cohesive and consistently excellent. Despite the band’s ability to jump effortlessly from genre to genre, the album flows beautifully. Often, the lyrics conjure up images of standing resolutely in the face of a looming conflict. Honestly, I haven’t heard anything this inspiring in a long time. Fans of Wolf Parade (or lovers of great music) will feel right at home.

• Menomena – Wet and Rusting
• Menomena – Muscle’n Flo
• Menomena – Rotten Hell

As Christmas approaches, I feel compelled to post a cheery holiday song. But here’s the thing: most of those songs suck big time. And most times, you aren’t necessarily in a cheery Christmas mood.

One of my goals this Christmas was to find some “Christmas” music that can be enjoyed any season. And I may have found it in the most unlikely of places.

In the past few months, I’ve done a complete 180 on Sufjan Stevens. While I enjoyed a few songs on Illinois and The Avalanche, I thought most of it was overblown twee crap. Probably because I absolutely hate the flute. Then in October, I went to see Sufjan play live at Zellerbach, which just reinforced why I started to dislike him in the first place.

So when he released a 5-disc Christmas box set on November 21 for only $15, I didn’t care. A few weeks later, it finally struck me that Sufjan had released a 5-disc box set for $15. I picked it up at my neighborhood record shop and started listening to it almost exclusively, hoping it would help fill me with the Christmas spirit, which most times is brutally killed by finals.

With over 40 tracks, the Sufjan box set can be a little overwhelming. But that’s where I come in. The best song by far is “Sister Winter.” It’s definitely not a cheery Christmas track, which is why I like it. It’s made me do a 135 on Sufjan. I say 135 because I still only selectively like his music.

Regardless, “Sister Winter” is a fantastic song and I hope you enjoy it.

• Sufjan Stevens – Sister Winter

If you haven’t heard of a band called Neutral Milk Hotel, then prepare yourself for a real treat. If you have, then hopefully the song I’ve posted below, a rare live track, will still be new to you.

Back in 1998, Neutral Milk Hotel released In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, simultaneously one of the most praised and despised indie albums of the past 10 years.

Personally, I love it, but it took a while to get there. For starters, Jeff Mangum’s voice is a bit grating – it’s almost as though he sings entirely through his nose. And second, the lyrics might put a few people off, especially when Mangum belts out “I love you Jesus Christ” on the album’s second track.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is a wild, wild ride. The track I’ve posted below, however, is a bit more subdued. The strange noise in the background is made by playing a saw with a violin bow. I wonder who first figured out that a saw could be played as an instrument.

If you enjoy “Engine” at all, I highly recommend checking out In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

• Neutral Milk Hotel – Engine

I was going to start this post off with the following sentence: This week’s featured download is hot off the press. Luckily I did a little homework before finalizing things. As it turns out, the Silversun Pickups’ latest album Carnavas was released July 26th. I got it last Tuesday thinking it was brand new.

I’m just happy I got it at all. It’s pretty damn good. For those of you who don’t know, the Silversun Pickups are an exciting band from LA. I first heard them on the second Music That Matters podcast from KEXP. A few days later I picked up the band’s EP Pikul, which I greatly enjoyed.

Both the EP and the LP have a similar sound. I’ve heard people say that they sound like the Smashing Pumpkins. I guess I agree with that, though I’m not the biggest Pumpkins fan.

The song posted below, “Lazy Eye,” typifies the band’s sound: excellent rhythm section coupled with churning, explosive guitars. It’s fairly intense, especially the vocals. It was tough for me to pick just one song from the album, so if you like what you hear, I strongly recommend getting the rest.

• Silversun Pickups – Lazy Eye