Music Under Fire

It's Memorial Day Weekend once again, and as everyone is heading down to the shore, a lake or just over to a friend's house or hanging out with your family, we're sure you're looking for some musical zest to add to this holiday. Keep in mind all of those who have fought for our country to be where we are today.

The list below is quite diverse, not sticking to any one theme. We have some harder rock with Ashes Divide and some classic Queens of the Stone Age. There's indie rock with Grizzly Bear and Spoon and some electronica with a Postal Service remix, Air France and The Crystal Method. We also have some groups we're just plain excited about like Phoenix, Cut Off Your Hands, Say Hi, Harlem Shakes. Enjoy our list and enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!

MP3: Phoenix - 1901 (Customised by DLID) (buy)
MP3: The Postal Services - We Will Become Silhouettes (Mexicans With Guns Mix)
MP3: Youth Group - All This Will Pass (buy)
MP3: Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks (buy)
MP3: The Fiery Furnaces - Benton Harbor Blues (Again) (buy)
MP3: Cut Off Your Hands - Turn Cold (buy)
MP3: Air France - Collapsing at Your Doorstep (buy)
MP3: Ashes Divide - The Stone (buy)
MP3: The Builders and The Butchers - Devil Town (buy)
MP3: Azure Ray - The Drinks We Drank Last Night (buy)
MP3: Spoon - 30 Gallon Tank (buy)
MP3: Harlem Shakes - Sunlight (buy)
MP3: Camera Obscura - Honey In The Sun (buy)
MP3: The Crystal Method - Sine Language (Featuring Lmfao) (buy)
MP3: Ash - I Started A Fire (buy)
MP3: Phoenix - Rome (buy)
MP3: Queens of the Stone Age - In The Fade (buy)
MP3: The Radio Dept - Pulling Our Weight (buy)
MP3: Say Hi - November Was White, December Was Grey (buy)

OR you can download the entire list right here.

Since we didn't post any Thanksgiving playlist, as we do for many holidays, such as Arbor Day, Memorial Day Weekend, Halloween and many others, we honed this for something almost better than Thanksgiving itself - Thanksgiving leftovers. Two days after our stomachs have finally settled, the theme for this list isn't anything really, just a bunch of great songs we've been meaning to write about, yet have been losing track of during this holiday season.

However, if you're looking for a Thanksgiving Playlist after the fact, we recommend heading over to Speed of Dark for some Thanksgiving music and a few mixes they posted leading up to 'Dead Roasted Bird Day'. Also check out Stereo Fever for a Canadian TG playlist.

With so much ahead of us to do in the month to come (besides writing about music), fighting the crowds at the mall late at night, keeping our health up by visiting the gym every now and then and even getting some sleep after visiting family - this playlist should be a welcome to explore more about these bands. In turn, we linked to the band's MySpace pages (as we do for our new releases every week), so you can find out more about them and things to come as the busy holiday season continues. We highly recommend checking out Mason Proper and Brendan Canning below.

MP3: Brendan Canning - Hit The Wall (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: Cale Parks - Every Week Ends (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: Crystal Stilts - Departure (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: Dead Heart Bloom - New Messiah (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: Deerhoof - The Tears And Music Of Love (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: Eulogies - Two Can Play (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: Mason Proper - Fog (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: Mobius Band - City vs Country (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: The Phenominal Hand Clap Band - Testimony (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: The Rumble Strips - Alarm Clock (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: The Swimmers - St. Cecilia (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: The Week That Was - The Airport Line (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: Those Dancing Days - Run Run(radio mix) (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: TV on the Radio - Love Dog (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: VHS Or Beta - Cant Believe A Single Word (buy) (MySpace)

The guys that run Lizard Lounge, NAU and Horny Toad all run pretty fun businesses and they really appreciate the artists that cross their paths. As a celebration of their affiliation and the musicians they have heard this year, they have created a 16-track compilation for free.

The compilation features many folk and jazz focused bands which provide plenty of soul at every beat. Below we have the track listings as well as a few of our favorite mp3s. For further info on the artists, head over to Horny Toad and check out their take on all of this as well as to download all of the tracks.

Bobby Torres Ensemble - On Burnside (Official)
Brett Dennen - Make You Crazy (Official)
Chris Pierce - Keep On Keeping On (Official)
Derby - If Ever There's A Reason (MySpace)
The Dimes - Catch Me Jumping (Official)
Dominic Castillo & The Rock Savants - Keep You Around (Official)
Dyers Rocket - Streak In The Sky (MySpace)
Elevaters - The One (Official)
Jay Nash - Easy (Official)
Jaycob Van Auken - A Fool In The Darkness (Official)
Norman - Belfountain Stars (MySpace)
Pictures and Sound - 100 Directions (Official)
Stephanie Schneiderman - Twenty Slivers (Official)
Gavin Wahl-Stephens - Out Of Range (MySpace)
Ronno Dizzynest - Dyin Days (Official)
SubAtomic - The Incurables (Official)

Costumes are pretty pointless every day of the year except Halloween. Music fits the bill every day of the year, but when you want to get specialized and jazzed up, you get a Halloween playlist to set things off right. We've intricately selected some ghoulishly delightful songs to get your inner zombie in the right mood.

Also, since candy is so important on Halloween, we want you to check out Candy Blog. If you need costume ideas, head to CricketSoda's Top Blogger or find out what you should be with the Halloween Costume Generator. If you're looking to snack healthy this year, check out 365Halloween. Now get dressed up and let MusicUnderFire's Halloween playlist light the way.

MP3: Jason Segel - Dracula's Lament (buy)
MP3: Filligar - Ghost Town (buy)
MP3: The Rosebuds - Cape Fear (buy)
MP3: The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight (buy)
MP3: Umbrellas - Ghost (buy)
MP3: Mystery Jets - Scarecrows in the Rain (buy)
MP3: TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me (buy)
MP3: Fields - Skulls And Flesh And More (buy)
MP3: MGMT- Of Moons Birds and Monsters (Holy Ghost! Remix) (buy)
MP3: The Black Ghosts - Any Way (Boy 8 Bit Mix) (buy)
MP3: Band of Horses - Is There A Ghost (buy)
MP3: Armor For Sleep - Basement Ghost Singing (buy)
MP3: Cut Copy - So Haunted (buy)
MP3: Explosions In The Sky - Welcome, Ghosts (buy)
MP3: The Postal Service - We Will Become Silhouettes (Matthew Dear's Not Scared Mix) (buy)
MP3: Does It Offend You, Yeah - Dawn of the Dead (buy)
MP3: City And Colour - The Death of Me (buy)
MP3: Anberlin - The Haunting (buy)
MP3: Gorillaz - Dracula (buy)
MP3: M83 - Graveyard Girl (buy)
MP3: Jeniferever - A Ghost In The Corner Of Your Eye (buy)
MP3: Apartment - Ghost of an Unforgivable Past (buy)
MP3: Mogwai - Kids Will Be Skeletons (buy)
MP3: Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches (buy)

With our Fightin' Phils getting ready for their World Series games, we thought we would spread some of our excitement as well as spread some of the Philadelphia music talent with a playlist. Unfortunately, Survivor and Bon Jovi didn't make it, but I am sure Fox will play the heck out of them. GO PHILLIES!!!

MP3: Dr. Dog - Ain't It Strange (buy) (Official) (MySpace)
MP3: Birdie Busch - Sweetheart Age (MySpace)
MP3: Anthony Green - Springtime Out the Van Window (buy) (Official) (MySpace)
MP3: Good Old War - Looking For Shelter (buy) (Official) (MySpace)
MP3: The Artificial Hearts - You Were My Everything (buy) (Official) (MySpace)
MP3: Peasant - We're Good (buy) (Official) (MySpace)
MP3: Enon - Mirror On You (buy) (Official) (MySpace)
MP3: (the sounds of ) Kaleidoscope - Silver Sk'eyes (Official) (MySpace)
MP3: Surgeon - Can't Let Go (buy) (Official) (MySpace)
MP3: Quintero - Gravity (buy) (Official) (MySpace)
MP3: Natalie Walker - With You (buy) (Official) (MySpace)
MP3: Circa Survive - The Difference Between Medicine and Poison is in the Dose (buy) (Official) (MySpace)

We're not a bunch of romantics. We don't have any scented candles in stock and never have an extra box of chocolates laying around. It's not that this is our favorite day of the year, but the truth is that Valentine's Days makes everyone feel a particular way. Whether you're cherishing your bachelorhood, smitten for a co-worker, or just flat out head-over-heels for someone close to you, V-day is a day of celebration no matter what your situation. So grab a bottle of red wine, order a cheesesteak and crank your hi-fi speakers up; we think you'll enjoy this contemporary love list!