(extremely special, extremely weird, extremely long, all-talking episode called: 30 hours in prospect park) In this highly unusual episode of The Sounds in My Head, I tell the story of why I spent 30 hours in Prospect Park this Fall. It involves me and my girlfriend's cat, Senator Pink Ears, a poodle, the police, some firemen, a super hero, blood, and oh so much more. You don't want to miss it! But be prepared to pay attention for about an hour for this episode of The Sounds in My Head which is far more like This American Life. The video Kelli references can be seen here. The Music I talk over is as follows, in this order: "Cat Scratch Fever" by Moog Cookbook, "An Evening in Park Slope" (iTunes) by 33.3, "The Pink Panther Theme" (iTunes) by Henry Mancini, "Fuzzy" (iTunes) by The Incredible Moses Leroy, "Kitty's Waltz" by Caleb Sampson, "Fall Two" (iTunes) by Matt Pond PA, "Wild Cats of Kilkenny" by The Pogues, "Up a Tree Again (import version)" by Looper, "Climb the Ladder" (iTunes) by Of Montreal, "Cat O'Nine Tails" (iTunes) by Combustible Edison, "Dick Tracy" (iTunes) by The Ventures, "Kitty" (iTunes) by The Presidents of the USA, "Big Green Tree" (iTunes) by The Essex Green, "Running Meredith" by Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, "Sleeping Pill" by Luna, "Sparkplug Minuet" by Mark Mothersbaugh, "Good Morning Good Morning" by The Beatles, "Kitty's Waltz" by Caleb Sampson, "Impossible Mission" (iTunes) by Danny Elfman, "Main Titles (The Dick Tracy Theme)" (iTunes) by Danny Elfman, "Wild Cats of Kilkenny" by The Pogues, "Christmas Time is Here (instrumental version)" (iTunes) by Vince Guaraldi

(SPECIAL EXTRA-LONG CHRISTMAS MUSIC EPISODE) First up New York City's I Am the World Trade Center with "The Rockefeller Tree" from the Christmas Two compilation from indie-label Kindercore (Amazon). Then the UK's Joy Zipper did "Christmas Song" from their recent album American Whip (iTunes, Amazon, SoundFix). Then sibling duo Blondfire did "Underneath the Mistletoe" from their brand new Holiday EP which was released exclusively through iTunes. Next was Boston's twee-goodness The Specific Heats with "Winter Fashions" from the Total Gaylord Records compilation Christmas Twee (online store). Then the increasingly ubiquitous Sufjan Stevens did "Put the Lights On the Tree" which can be downloaded along with 23 other xmas songs, for free, from here. Next was Michigan's Wally Pleasant with "Merry Christmas Time Again" from his essential album Welcome to Pleasantville (online store). Then we heard Rudolph & the Gang with "Here Comes Fatty Claus" a song you probably haven't heard on NPR or anywhere else where John Waters has been interviewed talking about the recently released John Waters Christmas album (iTunes, Amazon). Next was the best Tom Waits cover I know of, The New Pornographers' Neko Case doing "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" from the Tom Waits tribute album: New Coat of Paint: Songs of Tom Waits (iTunes, Amazon). Then we heard a clip of French/Norwegian husband and wife duo from Brooklyn Mi And L'au's and "Christmas Soul" from their self-titled album (iTunes, Amazon, SoundFix). And we finished up this special extra-long episode with another Blondfire song, from the same new EP (iTunes), "It's Been Christmas Here" is my favorite new xmas song of the year. This week's episode has 2 clips from The Daily Show with John Stewart you can see the full clips at One Good Move, here and here. Need more great xmas music? Links to last year's three xmas episodes:
Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3

Sweden's Jens Lekman get's us off to a great start with "Black Cab" from his new album Oh You're So Silent Jens (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music), an album that's almost as much Magnetic Fields as it is Kings of Convenience. Then Ontario's The Most Serene Republic did "Content was Always My Favorite Colour" from their 2005 debut album Underwater Cinematographer (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Next was Omaha's Azure Ray and their song "If You Fall" from their 2003 album Hold On Love (iTunes, Amazon). And finally the Australia's electronic/pop group Glovebox did "In the End" from their self-titled album (iTunes, Amazon). This episode features a clip from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart about the security of the U.S. homeland in the years after 9/11.

First up the UK's Sing-Sing with the exceptionally unfitting (given the weather where I live) "Feels Like Summer" from their 2004 album The Joy of Sing-Sing (iTunes, Amazon). "Feels Like Summer" was actually released in 2000 as a single. It sounds like an awesome Saint Etienne song, but isn't. Then Baltimore's Page France did "Chariot" from their new (and second of the year) album Hello, Dear Wind (Amazon). Next Brooklyn's Musical Ambassadors of Love They Might Be Giants offered up a few short songs from their new Venue Songs CD/DVD release (order online). First "Columbia," then "Asheville," followed by "Los Angeles." And finally The American Analog Set offers up "Born on the Cusp" from their most recent album Set Free (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). This week's episode has three clips from They Might Be Giants' DVD included with their Venue Songs CD featuring author John Hodgman.

First up indie-standards the Silver Jews did "How Can I Love You If You Won't Lie Down" from their new album Tanglewood Numbers (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Then part of The Apple's in Stereo, in particular the Robert Schneider part, and his solo project Marbles did "Hello Sun" from his album Expo (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music) which came out earlier this year. Next was Melbourne, Australia's The Triangles with their song "Let's Replace the Cityscapes" from their recent release Magic Johnson (Amazon, import). Then Austin's Asylum Street Spankers did "Brazil" from their 1996 album Spanks for the Memories (iTunes, Amazon). (Check out this NPR interview with two members of the band.) And finally, a bonus Silver Jews song, my favorite of theirs, "Tennessee" from their 2001 album Bright Flight (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music).This week's episode has a clip from Air America Radio's The Majority Report with Janeane Garofalo and Sam Seder featuring Patton Oswalt.

First up Brighton, England's 60's throwback greatness The Pipettes did their song "Dirty Mind" from their EP by the same name (iTunes, Amazon). Next was France's Domotic with the song "I Hate You for Ever" from his most recent album Ask for Tiger (import). Then Portland's Blanket Music frontman and Hush Records president Chad Crouch, who when solo is known as Toothfairy, did "Stephanie, My First Crush" from his EP Formative (Amazon). And finally Seattle's The Long Winters did "Ultimatum" from their most recent EP by the same name (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music).This episode features of clip from (my personal hero) MacGyver.

First up Brooklyn's not-terribly-original-but-pretty-good-nevertheless Stellastar* did "Stay Entertained" from their new album Harmonies for the Haunted (iTunes, Amazon, Other Music). Next Sweden's Future Bible Heros aka Suburban Kids with Biblical Names did two cuts from their new album #3 (import online). First "Funeral Face" (which was also on their last EP #2) then "Noodles". Next was Montreal's young'ns The Sunday Sinners with "A Sinner's Prayer" from their new Demo EP (Contaminated Records sells it). And finally the one-man-music-machine that is Ontario's Matthew Adam Hart's The Russian Futurists with "Our Pen's Out of Ink" from this years' album Our Thickness (Amazon, Other Music).This week's episode has a clip from Air America Radio's The Majority Report with Janeane Garofalo and Sam Seder featuring Patton Oswalt.