Disclaimer: I am in no way advocating the frequent consumption of large amounts of alcohol.

That being said, alcohol does seem to inspire a lot of great (though often depressing) music. Who knows how many albums and songs were recorded during late night drinking binges. And the catalogue of songs mentioning booze may very well be endless.

Enter a song called “Moonshiner.” While its true origins may be unknown, the song is, more or less, an ode to alcoholism. Prior to discovering Cat Power late last year, I had only heard Bob Dylan’s version on Live At the Gaslight 1962. Then a few weeks ago I found a track called “Moonshiner” on the Cat Power album Moon Pix. Sure enough, it was the same song, albeit a very different take.

The Dylan version is acoustic and intimate, while the Cat Power is more electric and somewhat distant. I think I prefer Dylan’s take, but that could be because I heard it first. It’ll be interesting to see what other people think, so leave comments!

• Bob Dylan – Moonshiner
• Cat Power – Moonshiner

If anyone out there still actually reads my blog, I’d be amazed. Thank you for your support through these dire times. In an incredibly misguided attempt to make up for the lack of activity, I’ve decided to post a slew of mp3′s that’ve been in heavy rotation as of late.

Here’s an catchy little song from a band that reminds me a lot of The Strokes when they were actually good. Check out their EP A Lesson In Crime if you like what you hear.

• Tokyo Police Club – Be Good

The following track closes out Of Montreal’s most recent LP Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, which even in the age of iTunes and digital downloads, is a remarkably cohesive and engrossing album.

• Of Montreal – We Were Born the Mutants Again With Leafing

Fans of Menomena will enjoy this radically different version of “Wet and Rusting.” It may even convert those of you who have yet to recognize the brilliance of this band.

• Menomena – Wet and Rusting [live]

I was looking forward to Andrew Bird’s new album Armchair Apocrypha ever since the beginning of 2007. Despite being slightly disappointed thus far (which is only because The Mysterious Production of Eggs was so damn good), I absolutely love the gorgeous track posted below.

• Andrew Bird – Cataracts

“You’ve got your reasons / And me I’ve got mine / But all the reasons I gave / Were just lies to buy myself some time.” Enough said.

• Arcade Fire – Ocean of Noise

The closing track on Dr. Dog’s We All Belong sounds unlike anything else on the album. Make sure to also check out the two mp3′s posted on their site here before buying.

• Dr. Dog – I Hope There’s Love

This one isn’t so new as it is amazing. If you have yet to discover Jeff Hanson, use the following track as a starting point. Then check out previous posts (here and here) for more of his tunes (and yes, that’s a guy singing).

• Jeff Hanson – Somedays and Sundays

Happy President’s Day everybody! This week I’ve decided to round up a few excellent tracks that can be found free on the web. America is, after all, the land of the free.

SWAN LAKE

Swan Lake is yet another side project of Spencer Krug, lead singer of Wolf Parade. The band also features Dan Bejar of Destroyer and Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes. On paper, this sounds like an excellent combination, and for the most part it is, but I find the tracks featuring Carey Mercer’s vocals almost unlistenable. The same cannot be said for the song “All Fires,” which came dangerously close to making my Top 10 Songs of 2006 podcast (and in all reality probably should’ve). With lyrical gems like “… five hundred pieces means five hundred float, one thousand people means five hundred don’t …” it’s easy to see why this is such an incredible song.

• Swan Lake – All Fires

JOSH RITTER

Towards the end of 2006, I began focusing less on the rating cokemachine or pitchfork gave an album and more on the actual music. While those sites provide excellent guidance, I will undoubtedly enjoy music they hate and despise music they like. Before coming to this realization, I thought there was something wrong with me for not liking a critically-acclaimed album/group (like Deerhoof for instance). With age comes wisdom, and after moving one step closer to “old man” status this weekend, I’ve learned to just listen to the music. In spite of what the critics write, I like Josh Ritter and think you may too.

• Josh Ritter – Girl In the War
• Josh Ritter – Thin Blue Flame

SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN

Apparently when it rains it pours, and recently I’ve been inundated by tons of quality music. After a year or so of wondering, I finally started listening to (and falling in love with) The Walkmen. Then I’m hit hard by Menomena. And as if all that wasn’t enough, I stumble upon Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, a sunny little pop band from Portland, Oregon Springfield, Missouri (thanks for the correction Josh, I was way off!). Their debut album Broom is the kind of record that can be played when or wherever. I find myself listening to them whenever I want a break from all things complicated, whatever that means.

• Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – House Fire
• Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Gwyneth

My latest Mini Mix was conceived on Halloween night (hence the name). But the only scary thing about it is how good the songs are. Did I really just type that? Oh well, no going back now. I created this mix as I sat alone at home wondering why I can never think of any good costumes.

But it’s actually fitting that I call this the Halloween mix. Fans of My Morning Jacket may be familiar with their excellent live EP Acoustic Citsuoca. The EP, which features Jim James solo on the acoustic guitar, was actually recorded at a Halloween party. Coincidentally, all of the songs on the mix are hushed acoustic numbers. If you pay close attention, the only cracks of the drum you’ll hear are near the end of the mix.

Bonus points to anyone who can tell me which two songs on the mix are covers, and also which song is the only one to feature the drums. Before I get too carried away, here’s the track listing.

• 1. Gary Jules – Mad World
• 2. Elliott Smith – Angeles
• 3. M. Ward – Let’s Dance
• 4. Bishop Allen – The Chinatown Bus
• 5. The Mountain Goats – Moon Over Goldsboro
• 6. The Decemberists – Red Right Ankle
• 7. Ryan Adams – Tomorrow
• 8. Sufjan Stevens – To Be Alone With You
• 9. Iron & Wine – Upward Over the Mountain
• 10. The Mountain Goats – Pale Green Things
• 11. Weezer – Butterfly
• 12. Elliott Smith – Pitseleh
• 13. Calexico – Removed
• 14. Voxtrot – Sway
• Download entire mix

What a difference a month makes. In the past 4 weeks, I’ve completely settled into my new apartment, taken my first midterm as a grad student, and partied about as much as I did during a typical year as an undergrad. Needless to say, this Mini Mix is the exact opposite of last month’s.

I’ve been meaning to make a good driving mix for quite some time now. And the songs on this mix need to be played loud. They could be the soundtrack to you and your friends’ drive into the city on the weekend, or the motivation you need to get some (home)work done.

Below is the track list. I realize a few of the songs are repeats from previous posts, but they were just too perfect to leave out. As always, I recommend listening to it in the order presented below. Stream or download the entire mix using the links below. Enjoy!

• 1. Built to Spill – Goin’ Against Your Mind
• 2. Interpol – Evil
• 3. The Tragically Hip – Escape Is At Hand For the Travellin’ Man
• 4. Weezer – Say It Ain’t So
• 5. My Morning Jacket – O Is the One That Is Real
• 6. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Let It Ride
• 7. Belle and Sebastian – Another Sunny Day
• 8. The Twilight Singers – Teenage Wristband
• 9. Wolf Parade – I’ll Believe In Anything
• 10. Silversun Pickups – Lazy Eye
• 11. Tapes ‘n Tapes – Jakov’s Suite
• Download entire mix

As it turns out, coming up with full length mixes is not only difficult but also takes up a lot of space on my server. Also, I’ve found that attention spans tend to be pretty short. So to address these issues, I’m introducing yet another project. I call it the “Mini Mix:” a (sometimes) short collection songs revolving around a central theme.

Whenever I am about to begin a new stage of my life, I always get a little depressed. It doesn’t matter how excited I am, it still happens. Tomorrow I officially start grad school at Cal, which could be a particularly rough transition seeing as how I spent last winter snowboarding in Tahoe. Add to that the fact that, for the last month, I haven’t been able to find an apartment and you can potentially see why I’m bummed.

My first Mini Mix definitely reflects my current mood. It’s a collection of slow, somber songs, both old and new. I titled it “Late Night” because the songs make a great soundtrack to those long, restless nights. Listen to it in the dark with headphones on for full effect.

Below is the track list. Bonus points to whoever can guess which of the 12 tracks is my all-time favorite song.

• 1. My Morning Jacket – Strangulation!
• 2. Brand New – Play Crack the Sky
• 3. Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s – A Light On a Hill
• 4. The National – Lucky You
• 5. Ryan Adams – Oh My Sweet Carolina
• 6. The Mountain Goats – Sometimes I Still Feel the Bruise
• 7. The National – Daughters of the Soho Riots
• 8. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – How Do You Keep Love Alive
• 9. Shearwater – Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine
• 10. Jeff Hanson – Something About
• 11. The National – About Today
• 12. Songs: Ohia – Blue Chicago Moon
• Download entire mix