Music Under Fire

This week we're celebrating our 300th post! Considering 75% of all blogs don't make it past 3 months (we had 85 posts back then), we think this is a pretty big acomplishment to be where we're at - 300 posts in nine months (that's a little more than a post a day if you're doing the math).

For this small milestone, we compiled the list of ear-catching songs below. This is no ordinary list. Many of the songs below come from groups we've been following for quite some time and a few may be found on our 'best of' lists at the end of the year - the remainder are songs we've stubled upon in our searches for great music, new and old. We hope you enjoy our list below and are even more thankful for all of the visitors and people who have supported our site over the course of the last 9 months!

MP3: Fujiya & Miyagi - Knickerbocker (buy)
MP3: Delta Spirit - People C'Mon (buy) (MUF)
MP3: Low Vs Diamond - This Is Your Life (buy)
MP3: Greg Laswell - Comes and Goes (In Waves) (buy)
MP3: I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - When You Go Out (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: The Walkmen - In The New Year (buy)
MP3: The Stills - Being Here (buy)
MP3: Athlete - Flying Over Bus Stops (acoustic) (buy)
MP3: Kings of Leon - Manhattan (buy)
MP3: CSS - Beautiful Song (buy)
MP3: Does It Offend You Yeah - Whip it (Devo Cover) (buy)
MP3: Anthem In - Down (buy) (Official)
MP3: Arizona - Thimble (buy)
MP3: Black Kids - I'm not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance (buy)
MP3: El Ten Eleven - I Like Van Halen Because My Sister Says They Are Cool (buy)
MP3: Ra Ra Riot - Can You Tell Me (buy) (Official)
MP3: The Bravery - Swollen Summer (buy)
MP3: Daniel Gray - In the Morning (readme) (MySpace)
MP3: The Honorary Title - Stay Away (buy)
MP3: The Kooks - Kids (MGMT cover) (buy)
MP3: Radiohead - Down Is The New Up (buy)
MP3: Panda Riot - Paper Planes (live on WOXY) (buy) (Official)
MP3: The New Year - The Company I Get (buy)
MP3: The Uglysuit - Chicago (buy)
MP3: Ladyhawke - Back of the Van (Van She Tech Remix) (Official)

Get your notepad out, this week has some quick hitters that are destined to spice up your music player. Led by The Academy Is and their newest piece, Fast Times at Barrington High, the pop punk boys from Chicago have been gaining speed from album to album.

Perhaps the most flexible of the artists releasing this week, is none other than the Swedish soulful indie groove of Lykke Li. Her song "Little Bit" is so darn catchy.

For fans of an acoustic or stripped-down vibe, The Walkmen, The Honorary Title and Ra Ra Riot fit the bill. With that charming and sometimes maniacal touch, The Walkmen's You and Me meshes well to the palate of Vampire Weekend and even 70's flower rockers.

Delivering some off-collar intrique this week is none other than Sterolab. Their album Chemical Chords comes with the same precision that has made them a mainstay in the experimental ambient scene.

31Knots - Worried Well (Official) (MySpace)
Anarbor - The Natural Way EP (Official) (MySpace)
Brimstone Howl - We Came in Peace (Official) (MySpace)
Caesars - Strawberry Weed (Official) (MySpace)
David Byrne - Big Love OST (Official) (MySpace)
Death Vessel - Nothing Is Precious Enough for Us (Official) (MySpace)
Fiery Furnaces - Remember (Official) (MySpace)
Gorilla Biscuits - Start Today (MySpace)
GZA - Pro Tools (Official) (MySpace)
Hotel Lights - Firecracker People (Official) (MySpace)
Human Highway - Moody Motorcycle (Official) (MySpace)
Jaguar Love - Take Me To The Sea (Official) (MySpace)
Jeff Hanson - Madam Owl (Official) (MySpace)
Jennifer O'Connor - Here With Me (Official) (MySpace)
Jesu - Why Are We Not Perfect? (Official) (MySpace)
Julianna Hatfield - How To Walk Away (Official) (MySpace)
Karina - First Love (Official) (MySpace)
Lindstrom - Where You Go I go Too (Official) (MySpace)
Loudon Wainwright III - Recovery (Official) (MySpace)
Lykke Li - Youth Novels (Official) (MySpace)
MakeUpBreakUp - We Prefer Not To... EP (Official) (MySpace)
Moondoggies - Don't Be A Stranger (Official) (MySpace)
Music Tapes - Music Tapes for Clouds & Tornadoes (Official) (MySpace)
Perhapst - Perhapst (Official) (MySpace)
Pram - The Moving Frontier (Official) (MySpace)
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line (Official) (MySpace)
Royal We - The Royal We (Official) (MySpace)
Salme Dahlstrom - The Acid Cowgirl Audio Trade (Official) (MySpace)
sBach - sBach (Official) (MySpace)
Shwayze - Shwayze (Official) (MySpace)
Staind - The Illusion of Progress (Official) (MySpace)
Starling Electric - Clouded Staircase (Official) (MySpace)
Stereolab - Chemical Chords (Official) (MySpace)
Straight Line - Stitch When Skies Wash Ashore (Official) (MySpace)
System and Station - A Nation of Actors (Official) (MySpace)
The Academy Is ... - Fast Times at Barrington High (Official) (MySpace)
The Dandy Warhols - Earth to the Dandy Warhols (Official) (MySpace)
The Honorary Title - Scream and Light Up the Sky (Official) (MySpace)
The Ritz - The Night of Day (Official) (MySpace)
The Stills - Oceans Will Rise (Official) (MySpace)
The Walkmen - You And Me (Official) (MySpace)
Todd Snider - Peace Queer (Official) (MySpace)
The Uglysuit - The Uglysuit (Official) (MySpace)
Uh Huh Her - Common Reaction (Official) (MySpace)
Verve - Forth (Official) (MySpace)
Xavier Rudd - Dark Shades of Blue (Official) (MySpace)