(LAST SHOW OF SEASON FOUR!) First up, Wales' answer to Architecture in Helsinki, Los Campesinos! did "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives" from their debut Sticking Fingers Into Sockets EP (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). Then we heard two excellent songs from London's Noah and the Whale, first their incredible "5 Years Time" then a song for Christmas called "Rocks and Daggers". The former can be bought on a fine 7" from here, and the latter can be found on their Myspace page. Definitely watch the video for "5 Years Time" on YouTube. Next NYC's Quintus did their 70's infused "Old Guitar" from their largely mediocre The Shape We're In EP (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). Then Florida's Black Kids did "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You" from their debut Wizard of Ahhhs EP (free download). Next Dallas' indie pop makers The Happy Bullets did the title-track from their album The Vice and Virtue Ministry (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). And finally NYC's soon-to-be-huge and one of my new favorite bands Vampire Weekend did a live version "M 79", a song which will be on their debut album when it comes out next month. In the meantime you can download the studio performance of it as well as 3 other songs for free from the Daytrotter Session website. This episode contains clips from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Amazon, Netflix) and from The Rachell Maddow Show where she mentioned Alan Keys inclusion in the final Iowa Republican debate where she mentioned this interview.

(SPECIAL CHRISTMAS EPISODE!) We start with some excellent mashups from last years A Very Bootie Christmas album (FREE download!), which is not only a must-have, but also free making it that much better! It was hard for me to pick what to play from it, but ultimately went with "Are You Gonna Stop the White Xmas" by Bad Tattoo and "Christmas in Boston" by Go Home Productions. Next we heard two songs from 2 of the 3 Hark! The Filthy Angels Sing (FREE download!) christmas compilations which can also be downloaded in their entirety for free we heard a "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)" (a Ramones cover) by Britain's Helen Love and "December Will Be Magic Again" (a Kate Bush cover) by Wojtek Godzisz also from the UK (a band i would never play if that song weren't completely unlike anything else he's ever shat out). Then California's The Bird and the Bee did "Carol of the Bells" a single track released just this year and given away free in iTunes for a while. Then TSiMH favorite Norway's Erlend Øye did "Last Christmas" a partial Wham cover from an out of print compilation called Seasonal Greetings (Amazon) but is fairly easy to find on the internets. Then UK's The Puppini Sisters did "Jingle Bells" from their EP by the same name which came out this year (iTunes, Amazon). Next was Boston's Aberdeen City doing a cover of one of my favorite xmas songs, Low's "Just Like Christmas" (FREE download!). Then the UK's KIDS Allstarz did "Merry Xmas Everybody" (a Slade cover), from the record label compilation The Best KIDS Christmas Album in the World Ever Ever Ever!!! (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). And finally, one last free xmas download, this one offered by NYC's own Nellie McKay and called "Christmas Dirge" (FREE download!). This episode features clips from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Netflix, Amazon). Other free christmas mashup albums are offered by Boston's DJ BC here and here.

(SPECIAL ORIGINALS EPISODE!) In this episode I played uncommon original versions of songs that I like later versions of, be they songs that have been well-covered or cleverly-sampled. First up we heard the song "Sho Nuff" by Fatboy Slim from the single for his classic "Praise You" (iTunes, Amazon) which was created in part using samples from the original song "Jeans On" by David Dundas from his self-titled 1977 album, that can be obtained on a compilation called Naughty By Nice (Amazon). Next, we heard the original version of "Tainted Love", most popular by the 80's new wave band Soft Cell (Amazon, iTunes), we heard the version from 1964 recorded by Gloria Jones (Amazon). Then Blondie's "The Tide is High" (Amazon, iTunes) has always been one of my favorites, but it's actually by reggae legend John Holt, whose original version we heard, from his album Anthology: John Holt - The Tide is High, 1962-1979 (iTunes, Amazon). Then, rounding out the 80s, we heard the original version of 80's dance party favorite "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow (iTunes, Amazon, eMusic), the original provided by The Strangeloves with a version that can be found on I Want Candy: The Best of The Strangeloves (iTunes, Amazon). Then TSiMH favorites The Go! Team's "The Wrath of Marcie" from their new album Proof of Youth (iTunes, Amazon) was created in part by sampling the song "Turn it Around in Your Mind" by the Rhinestone Cowboy himself Glen Campbell and can be found on his 1977 record The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album (iTunes). And finally, They Might Be Giants did "Yeah, Yeah" from their album Mink Car (Amazon, eMusic), which is a cover of Georgie Fame's "Yeh, Yeh" which can be found on his album Get Away With: The Very Best of George Fame and the Blue Flames (Amazon, eMusic).

(SPECIAL GUEST-HOSTED BY ROB WALKER ST. JAMES INFIRMARY EPISODE!) In this episode, prolific writer Rob Walker (NO Notes, NY Times Magazine: Consumed Columnist, murketing.com, and book) takes us on a guided tour of his favorite song: "Saint James Infirmary." First up, the quintessential rendition of "St. James Infirmary" by Louis Armstrong which can be found on any umber of compilations (eMusic, iTunes, Amazon). Next, a version by Jack Teagarden which is on his album Father of Jazz Trombone (eMusic, iTunes, Amazon). Then a version by Pérez Prado from which can be obtained on his album Voodoo Suite (iTunes, Amazon). Then a version by TV's Andy Griffith which you can get on his album What it is Andy Griffith (Amazon). Next was a version called "St. James Infirmary Blues" by The White Stripes from their self-titled debut (eMusic, iTunes, Amazon). Then a version by Snooks Eaglin from the album New Orleans Street Singer (eMusic, iTunes, Amazon). Then a version called "The Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues" by Blind Willie McTell from among other things Atlanta Twelve String (iTunes, Amazon). Next was a version by Ingrid Lucia & The Flying Neutrinos from the album Live from New Orleans (iTunes, Amazon). Then a version from Saturday Night Live by Lily Tomlin which is available in the Complete First Season collection (iTunes, Amazon). And finally, perhaps Rob's favorite version, one called "Those Gamblers' Blues" by bluesman Jimmie Rodgers on Recordings 1927-1933 (eMusic, iTunes, Amazon). In this episode Rob mentions a Betty Boop cartoon featuring Cab Calloway performing "St. James Infirmary," you can watch that part of said cartoon here.

First up, NYC's own up-and-coming indie heros Vampire Weekend did "Mansard Roof", the title-track from their recent 2 song EP (iTunes, eMusic). While in Paris I may have missed Vampire Weekend, but I made it in time for The Shins, so we heard a remix of their song "Austrailia" by Bjorn (of Sweden's Peter, Bjorn and John), which can be found on the recently released benefit complication Big Change: Songs for FINCA (iTunes) which is not only inexpensive, but for a great cause. What? The Shins aren't a big enough draw? How's about we lay down other great unreleased songs by Norah Jones, Rogue Wave, M. Ward, Antony and The Johnsons, and Tokyo Police Club? Still not convinced to shell out the $8? Ok, well take a listen to this gem from Brooklyn's Beirut called "My Night With the Prostitute from Marseille" from the same album. Now you better pay up! Next we heard two covers of Belle & Sebastian songs from a compilation called Century of Covers - Belle & Sebastian Tribute (download here). First was a radically different take on "Ease Your Feet in the Sea" done by Belgium's Austin Lace, then a charming version of "I'm a Cuckoo" by Sweden's Billie the Vision & The Dancers. Next Chicago's Office, who I played a couple of years ago, have a new album called A Night at the Ritz (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon), consisting primarily of old songs which have been re-recorded. One of the songs I played previously was "Oh My", we here it again on this show, but the new version. And finally, East Los Angeles' Quetzal did a song perhaps more likely to be found on Ritmo Latino than TSiMH called "No Te Ofendas" from their album Die Cowboy Die (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). This episode features clips from an episode of The Family Guy called "Mother Tucker" which you can watch a clip from here.

First up, ex-Concrete Victoria Bergsman's new band Taken By Trees has released their new album Open Field (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon), from which we heard "Hours Pass Like Centuries". Next Brooklyn's own Les Chauds Lapins (who do wonderful renditions of French classics) did two songs from their debut album Parlez-Moi D'amour (CD Baby), we heard "Swing Troubadour" and "Mon Rêve C'etait Vous". Then Berlin's Stereo Total did "Baby Revolution" from their recent album Paris-Berlin (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). Next Scotland's indie rock the 1990's (not to be confused with a band I played a while ago caled 1900's) did two good songs from their remarkably hit-and-miss debut album Cookies (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). Then Sweden's Envelopes did "Smoke in the Desert, Eating the Sand, Hiding in the Grass" from their forthcoming new record, and current single by the same name (iTunes, eMusic). And finally Brooklyn's Elizabeth Harper who I played not too long ago has a new EP The Covent of the Immaculate Heart which contains a remix of her fantastic song "Let Me Take You Out" which I played previously. We heard that remix, perhaps consider picking up her self-titled album (iTunes). This episode features clips from CNN's The Situation Room about Bush seeking billions more for his Iraq adventure just after vetoing funding for children's healthcare (watch the whole clip here). And a series of clips from Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update about the latest gay-hating-gay-republican Larry Craig (watch it here).

First up, we heard Brooklyn's own Au Revoir Simone with "A Violent Yet Flammable World" from their new album The Bird of Music (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon MP3), which almost sounds like it could have been on The Bird and the Bee's album. Then was fellow New York City singer-songwriter Elvis Perkins doing the best song off his new album Ash Wednesday (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon MP3) called "May Day!". Next was a cut from a pretty good new Bob Marley remix album called Roots, Rock, Remixed (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon MP3) by Afrodisiac Sound System. The song we heard was a remixed "Soul Shakedown Party". Then we heard two songs from Sweden's Jens Lekman's brand new album from called Night Falls Over Kortedala (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). We heard "A Postcard to Nina" and "Your Arms Around Me". And finally fellow Swede and sometimes Nick Drake sound-double Jose Gonzalez did a great song called "How Low" from his great new album In Our Nature (iTunes, Amazon MP3). This episode features clips from the October 9th episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart discussing how George W. Bush describes actions rather than actually doing them.