The Best Song Ever: Cowboy Song

MP3: Thin Lizzy - Cowboy Song

Sigh. I honestly could post almost every Thin Lizzy record ever in this column or even create a "best band ever" just for them, but I just took the needle off of side B of my "Jailbreak" record and this is where my mind is at.

The great thing about Thin Lizzy is you could fill a room up and everybody will find a song that spoke to them on any of their albums: from the heartbroken to the middle class, that one song is yours to cherish as it was written for you. Happy birthday. "Cowboy Song", the track featured here today, appeals to the boy in us men, who grew up loving and wanting to be a cowboy, just like our daddy's. Being grown up sure ain't fun, as our horses are automobiles (or bicycles if you're a badass) and getting into a gun fight at dawn will land you in the slammer. Bummer. But this song makes me feel like a cowboy, as it is written to work both in the historical sense and the modern sense... you see what Phil Lynott did there? You should give this a shot if you're not a Thin Lizzy fan, it is wonderful. It gets soft and it rocks, which gets thrown around a lot but this truly accomplishes the near-impossible feat of sounding like everything. Fuck yeah!

Oh, and to close out, I'd like to challenge the internet: please post high quality, awesome, new or old, LARGE photographs of this band. Seriously, doing a Google image search for this band is depressing. Once you've done this, email us and I will replace this post with your finding and credit you and shit, maybe you'll get some mail too!

The return of the mighty Mos Def?

STREAM: Mos Def - Life In Marvelous Times (via RCRD LBL)

Typically when delving into the pasts of my fellow bloggers, most of them found or fell in love with hip hop from the Wu-Tang Clan or any early 90's positive mc group that made a minor splash. For me, I was sucked in by Black Star's self-titled Rawkus debut (and sadly, only record) featuring Mos Def and Talib Kweli. From there, I not only followed their careers, but most of the Rawkus roster, as well as enjoying mix tapes from my friend in high school who would fuel my thirst for quality flows.

Soon after graduation, the mix tapes stopped, and everybody I was following had lost the spark that made them special and unique, mostly falling into the same troubles that made mainstream hip hop so boring and insipid. Mos Def followed up the phenomenally brilliant debut "Black On Both Sides" with a strange and beyond lackluster mess in the rock/blues/rap album "The New Danger". It was so hard to stand behind the man, as he seemed to be distracted by his new acting career, content to phone in what made him so special and promising to begin with. Things only seemed to go further downhill on 2006's unlistenable and artless "True Magic".

He then left Geffen, who had acquired MCA who had acquired Rawkus for Downtown Records, a very credible and very consistent record label. There seemed to be some freshness in the air but it still didn't seem enough to forgive the sins of the past.

When I saw the news today of a brand new Mos Def track, I found myself curious but expecting the worst, a dramatic change from my late teens when the news of anything Mos Def would stop the world and fill me with such excitement. Clicking without paying attention, I was then treated to a whispered promise fulfilled in "Life In Marvelous Times", with it's spastic future-like beat and a man who sounds well rested and hungry for the promise he once held. I fucking love it, I really do. It feels great to have faith again, and if a second song can follow up on this feeling, I will be his biggest fan once more. One can only hope the forthcoming "The Ecstatic" can bring everything I dream of and more.

FUCK YEAH: New Parts & Labor

MP3: Parts & Labor - Nowheres Nigh

Holy shit: Parts & Labor made a pop record! I was going to take today off to relax and bring some comics back to the library, but then I heard "Nowheres Nigh" off of the band's new record "Receivers" and I couldn't resist. Since we last left the dudes, they lost a drummer and picked one right up as well as a new addition in a guitarist to boot; not sure if that helped to spawn the sound they're producing right now or that I am forgetting that they were a constantly shifting musical group (probably the latter).

So be on the lookout tomorrow, I don't think anything worthwhile is coming out anyway. Just this gem. Run, don't walk. Or trip... seriously, be careful out there.

"Receivers" sees release tomorrow from Jagjaguwar.

{purchase parts & labor recordings from insound}

You probably didn't miss: "Vivian Girls".

MP3: Vivian Girls - Wild Eyes

There's no way you missed the huge debut by the Vivian Girls. If so, get it. It rules. 'Nuff said!

"Vivian Girls" is out now from In the Red Records.

You probably didn't miss: "Stay Positive".

MP3: The Hold Steady - Slapped Actress

NOTE: Now, with the work week over, we enjoy the weekend with a look at the records we can all count on enjoying. The ones that both got and are worthy of the hype. Fuck yeah!

Yes, it's true, you probably didn't miss "Stay Positive" by the Hold Steady, but since the Summer air has cleared and it's gotten cold as all hell, it's no longer the outdoor party record it once was. So does the story of the aging hipster hold up inside the apartment or the heated car hold up? Of course it does. Because in the end, the Hold Steady brings the quality before the gimmick, and despite the season, quality keeps warm. Fuck yeah!

You may have missed: "Starfucker".

MP3: Starfucker - Isabella Of Castile

NOTE: As the year winds down and we look back at the records we've come into, it's a good time to figure out what may have been missed. This week I will take you there, and over the weekend there will be 2 bonus posts of albums you probably didn't miss, but I'll talk about why I think they rule and maybe open a dialog. Fuck yeah!

Okay, so this record just came out a couple of weeks back so if you missed it, it might be because you haven't heard of it or haven't had a chance to make it to the shop yet. No biggie. But I would like to make sure Starfucker's self-titled debut is not missed, as it is amazing. Our friend Zach Hangauer knocked it out of the park with his "German Love" post, and the track I've posted is to help cement our claim in Starfucker being the best new band of 2008. They killed it in Lawrence on Monday and this jam sounded beautiful.

"Starfucker" is out now from Badman Recording Co.

You may have missed: "1".

MP3: Juvelen - They Don't Love You

NOTE: As the year winds down and we look back at the records we've come into, it's a good time to figure out what may have been missed. This week I will take you there, and over the weekend there will be 2 bonus posts of albums you probably didn't miss, but I'll talk about why I think they rule and maybe open a dialog. Fuck yeah!

Juvelen's "1" is an album myself and frequent contributor Matt Giordano have been championing since it's release and it is one that continues to grow and surprise each time it gets dusted off. In a landscape full of dance pop Prince wanna be's, Juvelen is the only one to take the genre to the next level, brining the correct amount of hipness and swagger to make the ladies swoon all night and the dance floor sweaty. This may be the sexiest album of our generation, and certainly of 2008.

The good news for us in the States and the better news for those NYC/CMJ bound is you will have a chance to see the Swedish wonder at work: He's in town. One gig is with the super incredible Starfucker, so don't miss out. Straight from the Hybris mouth:

Juvelen will play live at CMJ in New york next week! We will also be there, so get in touch if you want to meet up!

Three gigs in all:

1.
The Electric Bowery
Weds Oct 22 6-9pm FREE
Happy Hour Swedish Music Showcase $4 drinks
with Razzia/ Hybris/I Made This Records
presented by ITSATRAP. COM and International Rescue Artist Development
at Bowery Electric - downstairs
327 Bowery (at 2nd St), NYC
Firefox Ak 6:20
Juvelen 7Pm
Hello Saferides 8pm

2.
Weds Oct 22After the Jump on Wed night @ Knitting Factory
Main

8 PM Starfucker
8 45 PM Unicycle Loves You
9 30 PM Bad Veins
10:30 Crystal Antlers
11:30 Heloise and the Savoir Faire
12:30 Juvelen

3.
Saturday, Oct 25 Kanine Records and Friends UnCMJ Party:
Crashin In At Public Assembly (70 N6th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn,NY

With live performances by:

Front Room
4:00pm-5:00pm Sky Larkin(Wichita)
5:00pm-6:00pm PRE(Deleted Art)
6:00pm-7:00pm Radio 4
7:00pm-8:00pm Holy Hail(Kanine Records)
8:00pm-9:00pm The Muslims
9:00pm-10:00pm Shock Cinema(Kanine Records)
11:00pm-12:00am The Mae Shi(Moshi Moshi)
12:00am-1:00am Cut Off Your Hands(679 Records)
1:00am-2:00am Johnny Foreigner(Best BeforeRecords)
2:00am-3:00am The Uglysuit(Touch & Go Records)
3:00am-4:00am Juvelen(Hybris)

"1" is out now from Hybris.

{purchase juvelen recordings from parasol}

You may have missed: "The Hopeful and the Unafraid".

MP3: Jason Anderson - The Hopeful and the Unafraid

NOTE: As the year winds down and we look back at the records we've come into, it's a good time to figure out what may have been missed. This week I will take you there, and over the weekend there will be 2 bonus posts of albums you probably didn't miss, but I'll talk about why I think they rule and maybe open a dialog. Fuck yeah!

You know, I had a grand summer to "The Hopeful and the Unafraid" by Jason Anderson. This vinyl with free cd cemented my admiration for the man and now, come autumn, I am still loving it. 10 stories about life anyone can relate to and it's impossible not to sing along. Rock it loud and if you missed it the first time, check out our "GO TEAM" post from Jason Anderson on the song "This Will Never Be Our Town". Dig in.

"The Hopeful and the Unafraid" is out now from K Records.

You may have missed: "UnonoU".

MP3: Danava - Down From A Cloud, Up From the Ground

NOTE: As the year winds down and we look back at the records we've come into, it's a good time to figure out what may have been missed. This week I will take you there, and over the weekend there will be 2 bonus posts of albums you probably didn't miss, but I'll talk about why I think they rule and maybe open a dialog. Fuck yeah!

Danava's "UnonoU" came out very early on in 2008 and I got around to posting about it in April. So it's very possible that you might have missed out on it when it was released and/or covered. Not a problem, let's talk: people this year have been trying new genres out left and right, be it punk rock or dance pop, but metal seems to still be a dirty word with those who don't play in that sandbox. Fair enough, it's what makes that music so great and rewarding in that it's scary and sends off listeners who aren't serious about their intentions. There were a lot of great records that came out this year, but one that is eying my number one is "UnonoU" by Danava.

7 songs of rock and roll brilliant, peppered all over with out of place but proper fitting puzzle pieces like horns and synths to build up to one delicious meal. You'd be shocked how many times I've played this one and created converts out of the unexpected. THAT is what makes a great record, and this one has it in spades.

Light up, grab a pint, whatever, but it's party time when you jam out on this one. Find it before you make up your mind on 2008 friend.

PS. For those of you wondering, the video is for the single "Where Beauty and Terror Dance". Radical.

"UnonoU" is out now from Kemado Records.

Rachael Yamagata video

We will have a menagerie of Rachael Yamagata posts coming in the future, but today I am happy to share with you the excellent video for "Elephants", the opening diddy from her just released "A Record In Two Parts…Elephants and Teeth Sinking Into Heart" double shot. Make it happen folks, see you next week!

Tourtastic:

October 28 - 9:30 Club - Washington DC
October 30 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
October 31 - Paradise - Boston, MA
November 1 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
November 3 - Bogart’s Front Room - Cincinnati, OH
November 5 - Park West - Chicago, IL
November 6 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
November 7 - High Noon - Madison, WI
November 8 - Blueberry Hill - St. Louis, MI
November 9 - Liberty Hall - Lawrence, KS
November 11 - Bluebird - Denver, CO
November 12 - Avalon Theater - Salt Lake City, UT
November 13 - Knitting Factory Concert House - Boise, ID
November 15 - Chop Suey - Seattle, WA
November 17 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
November 18 - Henry Fonda Theater - Los Angeles, CA

The Best Song Ever: Break My Stride

MP3: Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride

NOTE: Today's contribution comes from the Matt Giordano, who apparently took some time away from a recent cocaine binge to grace us with this post. Fuck yeah!

We often proclaim various songs to be the best ever, but perhaps we have rediscovered one that is. Whilst Rick Astley has become an internet phenomenon, I believe the internet community has seriously overlooked the true gem of the 80s, that being Matthew Wilder's instant classic "Break My Stride". Not only is the song one of the happiest, but also very uplifting. It adds an extra bounce in your step, making each day a bit more joyous.

Dungen

MP3: Dungen - Sätt att se
MP3: Dungen - Minda damer och fasaner

Time and time again, Dungen has delivered golden beauty, crafting masterpieces that slowly create a grand opus: their latest record "4" just may be the biggest and best piece of the puzzle yet.

Putting the guitar down and sitting at the piano, mastermind Gustav Ejstes has changed the name of the game, all without abandoning the psychedelic salt and pepper that made Dungen such a grandiose endeavor to behold. Sometimes things get hip swayingly crunchy or sometimes they become a swirl of strings, floating to the sun and gently falling with the stars. Even when it jams, like the 2 part peek into a kaleidoscope of ideas titled "Samtidigt" that is sprinkled in the near bookends of "4", it manages to not be a turnoff (seriously, jamming is fucking lame, keep it in the practice space people, not in the studio), maybe for the first time in rock history. That alone deserves a blue ribbon, but they bring along many reasons to earn not only one, but many: Dungen's "4" cleans out the entire fair. Fuck yeah!

"4" is out now from Kemado Records.

{purchase dungen recordings from insound}

Gun Outfit

MP3: Gun Outfit - Your Will

One of my favourite labels, Post Present Medium, released a new 7 inch recently from Gun Outfit, a great band out of Olympia. I've been seeing them compared to Dinosaur Jr. and the Meat Puppets, who are both awesome, but they really are on their own level of unique and clever. The 2 guitarists do well to stand out from one another, and yet compliment the other to lay down the structure of a great song. The 7 inch is 3 gems long and you can find early versions of them and more at the band's website.

It's been nice, having just moved to Lawrence, KS recently and I didn't have the space to pack any records, just my record player. It's caused me to give serious focus on any new vinyl I get, letting me take it in and let me just say that this has been a highlight on the turntable lately. Seriously, this is a band to look out for.

{purchase the gun outfit 7 inch from ppm}

Totally in love (still) with Laakso!

MP3: Laakso - Rotterdam Here I Come
BONUS MP3: Markus Krunegård - Noiserock i Japan
NOTE: Today's contribution comes from the Matt Giordano, who was kind enough to grace all of us with a return to form in spreading his man love for Laakso. It's okay, I missed them too. Fuck yeah!

We at Fuck Yeah Go Team have been negligent this year. Why, you ask? Because we have yet to post a Laakso song! Obviously with no new album (although singer Markus Krunegård released a solo-album, of which a bonus mp3 is included), there's no need to post them. However, there is an obligation to, as they have been the best band on the planet since their inception. This track is from one of last year's stellar Laakso releases Mämmilärock. Someone should be paying this band millions of dollars just for being amazing.

Liz Durrett

MP3: Liz Durrett - Wake to Believe

Boasting a producer/arranger in Eric Bachmann (Crooked Fingers, Archers of Loaf, songwriting deity), an uncle in Vic Chesnutt and a label in Warm, it was pretty hard for me to ignore "Outside Our Gates", the 3rd record from Liz Durrett. Thankfully, it doesn't disappoint, and fulfills as a meaty 11 song album that is more layered than naked. It's nice to hear that from a singer-songwriter these days, as most of them seem to boast on the fact that they are so thin, which is all well and good, but I feel like it's time for more. The sweetness that is "Outside Our Gates" has it in spades, be it from strings or beat keeping percussion: call it folk, rock, whatever genre you'd like, but Liz Durrett can confidently fly the flag of quality any day.

"Outside Our Gates" is out now from Warm Electronic Recordings.

The Kid

MP3: The Kid - I just wanna play punk like daddy did

The Kid put out "Transient Blood" a couple of months back, and sadly I am only getting to it now. It's a more polished affair, still brining the goth-electro-pop jams that you've come to love, sometimes with a little bit of sun. Case in point: "I just wanna play punk like daddy did", infectious from start to all-too-soon finish, it'll have your body waving about in glee, arm extended/finger in the air with "let's go down now"'s swimming from your lungs and the urge to indeed play punk like daddy did.

"Transient Blood" is out now from Hybris.

{purchase the kid recordings from hybris}