FAB FIVE FRIDAY #14

Congratulations. You're still alive.
Good job.

Onward...

1. Air Talkie Walkie (Astralwerks)
As good as Moon Safari, and definitely better than that 10,000 Hz Legend shite. Meditative, with a good amount of vocals and strings -- even banjo! --, and gets better as you progress through. If you liked the elegiac "Alone In Kyoto" (which i worshipped and also appears on the album) from Lost In Translation soundtrack, you'll like.

2. John Vanderslice Cellar Door (Barsuk)
Though not a longtime fan (or maybe it took me this long to "get it"), I am quite down with John Vanderslice's Cellar Door. His topical, narrative-style lyrics grabbed me from the get-go. And it's intricately produced. Yet, all the bleakness doesn't translate to overtly sad music (see "Coming And Going On Easy Terms," a fairly upbeat song about a guy in denial about his son being dead). Fucked up goodness.

3. Porest Prude Juice For The Heritage Swinger (Seeland)
Just hilarious audio madness, a la Negativland. SF's Mark Gergis (of Mono Pause) is behind Porest. He uses a ton of found sounds, cutting up songs and various other vocal samples that are surprisingly listenable plunderphonics. "Fist Dumpling" so rules, as does "Millennial Smoothie" (Jamba Juice shoutout) and "Skin Bitch" (a "reworking" of Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown").

4. The swirling synthesizers in Steve Miller's "Fly Like An Eagle."
Every time i hear this song, it makes me think of that Brady Bunch episode in which Greg fakes a UFO citing to Bobby & Cindy ands up attracting the Feds to the Brady household. This should be the music playing when Bobby dreams of going off with the aliens (who look suspiciously like munchkins) in their cool spaceship. It's so '70s, those spaced-out Moog synths on heavy reverb (see also: Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver" and 10cc's "I'm Not In Love").

5. Stereolab Margerine Eclipse
As twee as you wanna be. Whee! No really, despite the loss of Mary Hansen, Margerine Eclipse is light, fluffy and fun with nifty little keyboard twinkles and twankles. It'll make you goofily happy.
Unless you're the angry sort.

BONUS4TWEE
6. Mice Parade Obrigado Saudade (means "Thank You For Being Lovesick") (Bubble Core)
Delightfully quirky, quiet and crackly, includes vocal by Mum lead vocalist. Pretty. Gee.

AW GEE
-1. The demise of Captain Kangaroo.
Rest in peace Mr. Keeshan. Adieu, Picture Pages and Mr. Green Jeans.


Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'... into the future.


and also...

Charlie Brown can shake it like a Polaroid picture too

Hey Ya!