MIKE DUTKEWYCH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
10. Novi Split - "Pink In The Sink"
09. Wilco - "Sky Blue Sky"
08. Castanets - "In The Vines"
07. Arcade Fire - "Neon Bible"
06. Andrew Jackson Jihad - "People...."
05. Dr. Dog - "We All Belong"
04. Jim Ford - "The Sounds Of Our Time"
03. Sharon Jones - "100 Days, 100 Nights"
02. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "Ask Forgiveness"
01. Dirty Projectors - "Rise Above"

DAVE FRAZEE, ART DIRECTOR
10. Wu-Tang Clan - "8 Diagrams"
09. Ghostface Killah - "The Big Do Rehab"
08. Dean Schmidt - "I Know Nothing"
07. The Field - "From Here We Go Sublime"
06. Carla Bley - "The Last Chords Find Paolo Fresu"
05. Kanye West - "Graduation"
04. Aesop Rock - "None Shall Pass"
03. Andrew Jackson Jihad - "People...."
02. Miles Davis - "The Complete Corner Sessions"
01. Dirty Projectors - "Rise Above"

JOSHUA GILLIS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
10. Nedelle - "The Locksmith Cometh"
09. Andrew Jackson Jihad - "People...."
08. Jim Ford - "The Sounds Of Our Time"
07. The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
06. Sharon Jones - "100 Days, 100 Nights"
05. Novi Split - "Pink In The Sink"
04. Peter Bjorn & John - "Writer's Block"
03. Dr. Dog - "We All Belong"
02. Of Montreal - "Hissing Fauna...."
01. Dirty Projectors - "Rise Above"

DAVID JERKOVICH, CONSULTANT
10. Kanye West - "Graduation"
09. Kanye West - "Graduation"
08. Kanye West - "Graduation"
07. Kanye West - "Graduation"
06. Kanye West - "Graduation"
05. Kanye West - "Graduation"
04. Kanye West - "Graduation"
03. Kanye West - "Graduation"
02. Kanye West - "Graduation"
01. Kanye West - "Graduation"

MIKE DUTKEWYCH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
10. Dodo Bird - "Beware Of The Maniacs"
09. Bruce Springsteen - "We Shall Overcome"
08. The Hold Steady - "Boys And Girls In America"
07. Scott Walker - "The Drift"
06. Eef Barzelay - "Bitter Honey"
05. Andrew Jackson Jihad - "Issue Problems"
04. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "The Letting Go"
03. The Gothic Archies - "The Tragic Treasury"
02. Tom Waits - "Orphans"
01. Peter And The Wolf - "Lightness"

DAVE FRAZEE, ART DIRECTOR
10. Cut Chemist - "The Audience's Listening"
09. Daughters - "Hell Songs"
08. Cornelius - "Sensuous"
07. Die Hoffnung - "Love Songs"
06. Maps And Atlases - "Tree, Swallows, Houses"
05. Isobel Campbell/Mark Lanegan - "The Broken Seas"
04. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "The Letting Go"
03. I Am Robot And Proud - "The Electricity"
02. White Flight - "White Flight"
01. The Congos - "Heart Of The Congos" [Remastered]

JOSHUA GILLIS, CLERICAL ASSISTANT
10. Andrew Jackson Jihad - "Issue Problems"
09. The Mountain Goats - "Get Lonely"
08. Xiu Xiu - "The Air Force"
07. The Blow - "Paper Television"
06. Kind Of Like Spitting - "The Thrill Of The Hunt"
05. Parenthetical Girls - "Safe As Houses"
04. Beirut - "Gulag Orkestar"
03. Boris - "Pink"
02. Peter And The Wolf - "Lightness"
01. Destroyer - "Destroyer's Rubies"

DAVID JERKOVICH, CONSULTANT
10. Not My Ritchie - "The Sky Belongs To The Stars"
09. Girrafable - "Underskin"
08. Naim Amor - "Exsanguine"
07. The Facial Humiliators - "Taking On The League"
06. CMG - "The Album"
05. Andrew Jackson Jihad - "Issue Problems"
04. Beyonce - "B'Day"
03. Eef Barzelay - "Bitter Honey"
02. The Knife - "Silent Shout"
01. Graham Lindsey - "Hell Under The Skullbones"

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
"7/4 (Shoreline)" (video)
www.arts-crafts.ca/bss/

Here's the second video from Broken Social Scene's self-titled album. Leslie Feist and Kevin Drew dance around back-to-back while the 41 other members of the band do their thing, serving as the soundtrack to a dejected car ride past the shoreline. And some dude wears a zebra mask.
Enough said.

BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY & TORTOISE
"Thunder Road" (mp3)
www.overcoatrecordings.com

You might not think I'd be leery at the thought of one of my favorite songwriters covering my favorite song ever. But if you know Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road", arguably one of the greatest love songs ever written, you understand my concern. And if you know Will Oldham, the enigmatic neo-folk pioneer, notorious for his career's worth of musical curveballs (adopting at least half-a-dozen pseudonyms - currently Bonnie 'Prince' Billy; releasing Sings Greatest Palace Music, an album in which he essentially "covers" his own songs; etc.), you understand my concern.
But then the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy / Tortoise covers collaboration crossed my desk, and you can probably guess what happened next.
As the story goes, the original concept for The Brave And The Bold consisted of only a four song covers EP. But after completing the first two songs, the chemistry was so good, the group quickly decided to extend the project to a 10 song full-length. And you can tell this record was fun to make. That's what makes it so much fun to listen to.
The Brave And The Bold is all over the place. Whether it's the range of artists covered (Elton John to Devo to Richard Thompson to Lungfish), or the interesting arrangements that flesh it out, this collection is unpredictable and refreshing - the way a covers album should be.
Those same adjectives definitely apply to the group's vision of "Thunder Road". It's unpredictable from the start, opening with a heavily synthesized melody before decaying into Oldham's trademark sleepy vocal delivery. And if you're not refreshed by their take on the song's timeless "town full of losers" climax, well then you're just not listening hard enough.
Click here to purchase The Brave And The Bold.

FEIST
"Gatekeeper" (video)
www.listentofeist.com

For a lot of people, Canadian songstress Leslie Feist's skyrocketing popularity is hardly surprising. Especially for those in Canada and France, where her album, Let It Die is certified gold. Unfortunately, it wasn't until early last year that the States got a proper introduction to the album, thanks to a distribution deal with Interscope. Since then, however, Feist's combined top 40 sensibility and indie cred have helped her maintain a nice little word-of-mouth buzz.
Yet somehow, I wasn't completely prepared for the anxious sold-out crowd that joined me at Feist's tour kick-off at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. It was a pretty diverse gathering of people, even for a college town hipster bar. But once Feist took the stage, opening with a brief acapella number, it was easy to forget there was anyone else in the room besides her and me.
Taking advantage of the crowd's enthusiastic, undivided attention, Feist welcomed her three-piece band to the stage and proceeded to play her own rendition of Kings Of Convenience's "The Build Up", the studio version of which she collaborated on. For those familiar with her involvement in the band, this was a pleasant surprise, indeed. And a sign that she would not be playing a standard set's worth of radio "hits".
Instead, Feist played only half of Let It Die, while road-testing several songs intended for a new album to be recorded in March. Among the new jams were fan favorites, "Intuition" and "Anti-Pioneer", both of which she's been playing out for a couple years now. And as for the new-new jams, the somber "So Sorry" and the sing-along, "Fighting Away The Tears" served as promising previews of things to come.
By the end of the night, the mood had shifted from spastic dance party during her version of Broken Social Scene's "Major Label Debut (Fast)", to slow dance party... Literally. For her final song, "Let It Die", she invited couples on stage to slow dance under the neon bar light. It was truly a beautiful sight, accompanied by a truly beautiful voice.
Above, you can find an exclusive video of Feist performing "Gatekeeper", shot on January 24, 2006 at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

MIKE DUTKEWYCH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
10. The Holy Ghost - "Welcome To Ignore Us"
09. Nedelle - "From The Lion's Mouth"
08. Castanets - "First Light's Freeze"
07. Devendra Banhart - "Cripple Crow"
06. Broken Social Scene - "Broken Social Scene"
05. Feist - "Let It Die"
04. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & Matt Sweeney - "Superwolf"
03. Lemuria - "Lemuria"
02. Silver Jews - "Tanglewood Numbers"
01. Bruce Springsteen - "Born To Run: 30th Anniversary Edition"

DAVE FRAZEE, ART DIRECTOR
10. Boards Of Canada - "The Campfire Headphase"
09. Andrew Bird - "The Mysterious Production Of Eggs"
08. Architecture In Helsinki - "In Case We Die"
07. The Evens - "The Evens"
06. Pinback - "Summer In Abbadon"
05. Pit Er Pat - "Shakey"
04. System Of A Down - "Mezmerize/Hypnotize"
03. Silver Jews - "Tanglewood Numbers"
02. The Mountain Goats - "Sunset Tree"
01. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & Matt Sweeney - "Superwolf"

DAVID JERKOVICH, CONSULTANT
10. Mariah Carey - whatever the fuck that album is called
09. Bobby Bare - "The Moon Was Blue"
08. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & Matt Sweeney - "Superwolf"
07. The Czars - "Goodbye"
06. 13 And God - "13 And God"
05. Neil Diamond - "12 Songs"
04. R. Kelly - "TP3 Reloaded"
03. Silver Jews - "Tanglewood Numbers"
02. The Mountain Goats - "Sunset Tree"
01. Antony And The Johnsons - "I Am A Bird Now"

JOSHUA GILLIS, INTERN
10. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & Matt Sweeney - "Superwolf"
09. Sufjan Stevens - "Illinois"
08. Mount Eerie - "No Flashlight"
07. Silver Jews - "Tanglewood Numbers"
06. New Pornographers - "Twin Cinema"
05. Thanksgiving - "Thanksgiving, Pts. 1, 2, 3"
04. Okkervil River - "Black Sheep Boy"
03. Akron/Family - "Akron/Family"
02. Bright Eyes - "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning"
01. Kind Of Like Spitting - "In The Red"

ARCADE FIRE
"Wake Up" (feat. David Bowie) (mp3)
www.arcadefire.com

Arcade Fire has never made any secret out of their admiration and appreciation for David Bowie. So, when the rock icon proclaimed Arcade Fire as his favorite new band, it couldn't get any better than that, right?
Wrong.
A few months ago, Arcade Fire shared the stage with Bowie at the Fashion Rocks concert at Radio City Music Hall. The band backed him up on his classic, "Five Years" before he returned the favor by lending guitar and vocals to their hit, "Wake Up".
So, apparently dreams do come true.

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
Q&A, Part One (video)
Q&A, Part Two (video)
"Almost Crimes" (video)
www.arts-crafts.ca/bss/

Broken Social Scene has no concept of excess. Especially not on the road.
The score-keepers on their label's message board have clocked in their current tour's set length at well-beyond two hours. And who knows just how many members officially comprise the band. The last count I heard was 11.
And somehow the BSS train hasn't stopped rolling. Although it nearly ran out of steam in Detroit three nights ago.
Early on in their set, technical difficulties completely halted the show for a good half hour. Initially, the band attempted to play through them before the collective frustration prompted frontman Kevin Drew to order the power cut.
While stagehands checked the band's motherload of equipment, Drew assumed the duty of crowd control. And what started off as an innocent, time-killing question-and-answer period soon took a racy turn that found Drew in nothing but his undies and Adidas. The man's a true showman.
Soon, everything was back up and running and the band played on. For another two hours. Much to the delight of the sold-out audience, they played their entire 18-song setlist with no omissions, which is pretty remarkable considering how grim things looked in the early going. So, hats off to Broken Social Scene for turning a disastrous start into an unforgettable evening.
Here are three exclusive video clips from October 27 at the Majestic Theatre in Detroit. Included is the two-part question-and-answer segment as well as my personal favorite, "Almost Crimes" featuring the incredible Leslie Feist.

SILVER PALACE
"Berman Tells His Side" (mp3)
"Oldham Speaks His Peace" (mp3)
www.dragcity.com

Last Tuesday marked the release of the new Silver Jews album, Tanglewood Numbers, but the excitement didn't end there. Lucky Joos fans at very select independent record stores were greeted with quite a surprise. A surprise of mythic proportions.
A few days earlier, Drag City Records published a small blurb in their site's news section under the headline, "Pssst":

Hey, American friend - wanna buy a really rare record? If you're near a fine Drag City direct retailer, you'll have a chance to buy one on October 18th. See, that's the day Drag City's little sister label Sea Note issues a mystery single so strange and mysterious... let's see, so strange and mysterious, we can't tell you a single thing about this single! Well, perhaps just one little note - this record is related to our big October 18th release and a rumor that's spread for some years over a collaboration with this band and another band on Drag City. That's all we're telling you - put together the pieces and five dollar bills and be the first in line and you too might have this rarest of items!

Well, the pieces combined to make what was believed to be Silver Palace; the long-lost collaboration between Silver Jews's David Berman and Palace's Will Oldham. And since then, the five dollar bills have multiplied at an unhealthy rate on eBay. But the fun doesn't end there!
Turns out the joke's on us. Titled, Mr. Jews, the long-awaited Silver Palace record isn't actually a Silver Palace record at all. In fact, Berman and Oldham made no contributions to the recording... At least no contributions we haven't heard before. But that's all I will say.
If you're still curious, you can download the entire seven-inch above. The record was limited to 500 copies and by now it's long, long gone. So, here's what you missed. A hokey novelty that is sure to become just as sought-after as the real Silver Palace record.
If it even exists.

PROPAGANDHI
"Rock For Sustainable Capitalism" (mp3)
www.propagandhi.com

Propagandhi's contribution to my formative adolescent years cannot be understated. Much like their contribution to punk rock, society, the world, and any good fight for real justice. I don't care if it sounds corny. This band taught me about a lot of things; the most important being integrity. So, when they ask a question like, "When did punk rock become so safe?" perhaps one should consider whether he has the stomach for the answer.
Punk rock isn't about downloading MP3s from some crappy webzine. And no, punk rock isn't about posting MP3s on some crappy webzine, either. But punk rock is about being part of the solution. So, download this song, enjoy the next two weeks of anxious anticipation for Propagandhi's long-awaited Potemkin City Limits, and promise yourself you'll do more than add this track to your iTunes library.
"Remember when we used to believe that music was a sacred place, not some fucking vend machine? Not something you just bought and sold. How could we have been so naive? I think when all is said and done, just 'cause we were young, it don't mean we were wrong."