First up, TSiMH favorites, New Zealand's The Brunettes have a new album and EP coming out before too long, and they've posted a new cut on their Myspace page, it's called "Her Hairagami Set" and it's both a departure from their earlier stuff, and also totally great. Next, also from New Zealand, the very fine Phoenix Foundation did "Let Me Die a Woman" from their American debut Horsepower (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). Then Everything But the Girl pre-curser and quality 80's British girl-group Marine Girls did the song "Friday" from their two-albums-as-one collection Lazy Ways/Beach Party (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon) as a lead-in for the UK's Art Brut who were clearly influenced by them. We heard "People in Love" from their new album It's a Bit Complicated (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). Then we heard three songs from one of my favorite instrumental records. The band is Canadian ex-rapper Jason Beck. He now lives in Paris and goes by Chilly Gonzales'. But his seemingly-unlikely side project is Chopin-y solo piano music where he goes by simply Gonzales on a record simply called Solo Piano (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). We heard "Gogol", "Meischeid" and "Salon Salloon". And finally, mostly because I wanted to promote them again now that they are on tour and their 3-track EP is finally available for purchase in Other Music's new digital store, we heard NYC's up-and-coming incrediband Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" mashed-up with Clipse's "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)" by Les Bank Robbers (you can download it from his Myspace page). This episode features a clip from the podcast-edition of New York Times' columnist Paul Krugman's article Authentic? Never Mind (read it, subscribe).

(SPECIAL BEE-BANDS EPISODE!) Lots of bands seem to use the word "Bee" in their names these days. I recently noticed that even non-bee-named bands have been using bees in their songs lately (in just the last few episodes I've played "The Bee of the Bird of the Moth" by TMBG, and a I was a Teenage Satan Worshipper song from their Bees & Honey EP. So this episode singles out some of the better "Bee Bands" of late. First up, TSiMH favorites UK's Bees (formally The Band of Bees) have a new album called Octopus (iTunes, Amazon), from which we heard two stand out tracks: "End of the Street" and "Got to Let Go". Next Russian-born San Fransico-based Angelina Moysov's Persephone's Bees debut album Notes from the Underworld (Amazon) is filled with indie gems containing influences of Japanese pop and old school Of Montreal. We heard two tracks, the single "Nice Day" as well as "Climbing". Then Australia's electronic/rock/hip-hop outfit Bumblebeez 81 did "Pony Ride" from his 2004 album The Printz (iTunes, Amazon). Next Minneapolis Minnesota's Mouthful of Bees just released their debut album The End (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon) and while it's not my favorite thing ever, the opening track "The Now" is pretty darn good. Then Philadelphia's indie folk The Bees and the Birds did "Birds and da Bees" from their quality debut self-titled EP (iTunes, eMusic). And finally Los Angeles' indie-electro-pop makers The Bird and the Bee did "My Fair Lady" from their debut self-titled album (iTunes, Amazon). This episode features bee-related clips from Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine (imdb, Netflix, Amazon) and Real Time with Bill Maher (subscribe, watch the whole clip).

First up, England's indie pop six-piece Lucky Soul did "Get Outta Town!" from their recent debut album The Great Unwanted (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). Next up TSiMH favorites and a band often compared (but I don't really hear it) to Luck Soul, The Pipettes (maybe cause they're from England too?) did "Really That Bad" from their recently/strangely re-released Your Kisses are Wasted on Me EP (iTunes, Amazon). Then Sweden's awesome and in this care distinctly Cure-esque Shout Out Louds did "Tonight I Have to Leave It" from their EP by the same name (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon) and also from their forthcoming album Our Ill Wills (Amazon) due out in September. Next soul legend Minnie Riperton did "Les Fleur" (which I heard first at res fest in 2001 in the short video montage The History of Gaming) and can be found on any number of records, I pulled it from Petals: The Collection (Amazon) but it can also be found in iTunes and eMusic. Then Italian musician/filmmaker/artist Franco Battiato did a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday" as found on his 1999 album Fleur (Amazon) or on the soundtrack (iTunes, Amazon) to the awesome movie Children of Men (imdb, Netflix, Amazon). And finally, a great mashup of Willie Nelson, U2, and MARRS called "Always with You" made by Sweden's Divide & Kreate from the album Best of Bootie 2006 (website). The episode features a clip from the 20th anniversary episode of Fresh Air with Terry Gross (subscribe).

(SPECIAL NEW AND OLD FAVORITES EPISODE!) First up, Brooklyn's indie pop outfit and TSiMH favorites The Ladybug Transistor have a new album called Can't Wait Another Day (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon) coming out on June 5th, but it's availble now if you see their less-than-awesome live show, we heard a song that's better when they play it live substituting the Sax for a Trumpet called "Always on the Telephone". Next we dusted off an old favorite by South African sensation Miriam Makeba known as "Pata Pata" which is available on many records, but I pulled it from the album by the same name (iTunes, Amazon). Then back to New York for a track from The National's solid new album Boxer (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon), we heard "Ada". Then an older cut from Boston's dj BC's fantastic series of Beatles and Beastie Boys mashups known as The Beastles we heard my favorite "Buildin My Life" from his second effort Let it Beast, which unfortunately isn't currently available. Next New York's very own Dawn Landes has a great new single available in iTunes where she cover's Peter, Bjorn & John's huge hit "Young Folks" in the style of bluegrass, and while not part of the Pickin' On... sereis which I love to play stuff from, it's just as good or better. Then North Carolina's oooh-waaah excellent The Rosebuds have a new album out called Night of the Furies (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon), from it we heard "Cemetery Lawn". Next a quickie cut from Nellie McKay's troubled last album Pretty Little Head (iTunes, Amazon) called "Pounce" dedicated to Senator Pink Ears. Then years after forming and putting out multiple EPs TSiMH favorites Voxtrot have finally put out their new self-titled debut album (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon), which is just not nearly as good as it should be, from which we heard "Future Pt. 1". Next Helsinki, Finland's indie electropop band I Was a Teenage Satan Worshipper is supposed to have a new album any day now, but in the meantime we heard "Go Home Pandatron" from their only slightly older Bees & Honey EP (iTunes). And finally Laura Veirs has a great new record out called Saltbreakers (iTunes, Amazon) and from it we heard "Cast a Hook in Me". This week's episode features clips from Patton Oswalt appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brian.

First up, a fantastic cover of one of my favorite Magnetic Fields' songs, Portland's The Brother Egg did "I Think I Need a New Heart" from a free 23 track album made up entirely of covers of Magnetic Fields songs called Meaningless (myspace). You can download the whole thing there, but since it's kind of a pain to download that way, so I've posted it on my server to make for easier downloading: Click here to download. Next, New York's most exciting up-and-coming band (according to me anyway), Vampire Weekend did two tracks, which will hopefully be made available shortly when they release their first 7" and digital-download EP, but for now enjoy "Oxford Comma" and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" (stream on their site). One of the things that's great about Vampire Weekend is the way they summon African stylings in their otherwise unrelated-to-Africa music. To best illustrate this, we heard Zimbabwe's The Hallelujah Chicken Run Band with "Mudzimu Ndiringe" from the quality, recently-released collection Take One (eMusic, iTunes, Amazon). Next California's Jazz newcomers The Low Standards did "If You Play Nice" (which has a touch of Nellie McKay in it) from their debut Show Some Leg EP (iTunes). Then TSiMH favorite They Might Be Giants have a brand new album coming out tomorrow exclusively in iTunes (it comes out as a formal more-widely available double-CD in July) called The Else (iTunes)... Unfortunately I can't say I'm loving it. I can say I like at least this song tho, we heard "Bee of the Bird of the Moth" which has the sort of good lyrics typified by TMBG. Finally, another post-posthumous Elliott Smith record was just released, this one is a two-disc collection of 24 rarities called New Moon (eMusic, iTunes, Amazon). From disc one, we heard the previously unreleased "Angel in the Snow". This episode features clips from the past two week's episodes of FAIR's Counterspin, about the media's reaction to the 1st Democratic vs. the 1st Republican Presidential Debates.

(SPECIAL EXTRA-LONG FRENCH-POP EPISODE!) First up, France's incredible-yet-under-heard Holden did "Sur le pavé" from their most recent album Chevrotine (Amazon Import). Next, from Paris, Domotic did "Tonsil" from his 2005 debut album Ask for Tiger (iTunes, Amazon). Then a staple-of-French-pop Francoise Hardy did "Il Est Tout Pour Moi" ("He's All for Me") from her 1965 album The "Yeh-Yeh" Girl from Paris (Amazon) but the track can also be found on the 2-disc set Selection (Amazon). Then quintessential French band of our time Air, did "Jeanne" featuring the vocals of Francoise Hardy from a 1999 collection of French classics covered by great bands such as Luna, The Magnetic Fields, Apples in Stereo, and so on, called Pop Romantique: French Pop Classics (Amazon). Next the off-spring of French musical icons Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin best known by me as the chick Michel Gondry's The Science of Sleep, Charlotte Gainsbourg, has a brand new album that just came out. On it, she sings and the music is performed by Air. If that sounds like a recipe for success, there's a reason: the album is top-shelf French pop goodness. We heard the single "The Songs That We Sing" from the new album 5:55 (iTunes, Amazon). Next we heard from the classic "Douce France" from Charles Trenet, available on among other things, his Greatest Hits (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon) album. Then the Parisian Stereo Total, aka the Prototypes did "06 60 92 92" from their 2006 self-titled debut (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon). Next french model-turned-singer-turned-actor-turned-Johnny-Depp's-wife Vanessa Paradis did her/Lenny Kravitz's song "Be My Baby" from her 1992 self-titled album (Amazon Import, Amazon Used). Next was another classic track, this one from Francoise Hardy's husband Jacques Dutronc, it was "Et moi, et moi, et moi" which can be found on the collection En Vogue: Le Best of Jacques Dutronc (Amazon) or in iTunes on this soundrack. Then one last 60's French classic, it was singer and actress Chantal Goya with "Il Court Les Filles" which I pulled from the wonderful Canadian collection Ultra Chicks: Filles in the Garage (Vol I) (more) but seems to be unavailable now. You can get it from Amazon on the album Si Tu Gagnes au Flipper. And finally we finish up with a song by the criminally underplayed Holden, "Aujourd'hui Même" from their 2002 record Pedrolira (Amazon).This episode featured clips involving one of my favorite people in the world Bill Moyers (subscribe). First a clip from his interview on Real Time with Bill Maher (podcast), next a clip of his interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air (subscribe), and finally a clip from him interviewing Tim Russert on his documentary Buying the Way (watch it online) wherein he hands Timmy his hat.

(SPECIAL LOUISIANA EPISODE!) First up, New Orleans' own World Leader Pretend did the great song "Bang Theory" from their debut album Punches (iTunes, Amazon). Then the deep south's Bobby Lounge who is described as "playing the piano like Jerry Lee Lewis, with the showmanship of Little Richard, and lyrics like Randy Newman on crack" did the Louisiana specific song "Take Me Back to Abita Springs" from his record I Remember the Night Your Trailer Burned Down (Amazon, website). Next Baton Rouge's indie electro-rockers Reception is Suspected did "Boy with a Voice That Could Destroy the World" from their debut album The New American Etiquette (iTunes, Amazon). Followed by fellow Baton Rouge act The Eames Era have a brand new album that just came out called Heroes & Sheroes (eMusic, iTunes, Amazon), from which we heard two songs: "Last to Know" and "Dear Gabby". And finally British Columbia's The Be Good Tanyas did a song about New Orleans called "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" from their 2001 album Blue Horse (eMusic, iTunes, Amazon). This show features a clip from Eugene Mirman's CD The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon) about credit cards.