Song of the Day: Fleet Foxes - Mykonos

I still remember when I was 16 and had owned my first CD player for a few months, and I was telling someone how I was buying CDs like crazy. The person told me the same thing happened to them, but it was a phase that would pass. Turns out he was a liar.

I buy about 70-80 albums a year, though in 2000 I began buying vinyl when I could - now I don't buy anything on CD, because almost any album will eventually find a vinyl release. But very few of the albums I buy elicit an immediate reaction, where I become so obsessed that I want to listen to the album all the time. Usually, if it's something I really like, I'll listen to it a lot for about a month, but then it gets shelved in favor of whatever is next, making an appearance again at some point down the line.

But what keeps me buying albums is when you hear that one that does get stuck in your head, and you can't wait to get home to listen to it. Maybe it's a band that has created something new and seemingly revolutionary (Kid A), or maybe it's an album that sounds familiar and comfortable - you've heard it before, but not quite like this.

Fleet Foxes falls in the latter category - I don't think anyone would call the debut album revolutionary, as there are a number of influences even the most casual listener would recognize. But I was hooked from the first song I heard, "White Winter Hymnal." The acoustic guitars, the harmonies - they blew me away.

I played their eponymous debut non-stop for the first few months, and I was out of town when they played a tiny show in LA. But luckily they came back a few months later, playing a bigger show at the El Rey. The lead singer was giddy and amazed, claiming he couldn't believe how big the place was (the capacity is between 700-900 according to different sources).

The show ranks as one of the best I've ever seen. Five guys in the band, four of them singing in perfect harmony (and the lead singer with an amazing voice), and probably some of the funniest between-song banter I've ever heard. You could tell they were having a good time, still high off the reception their album had received.

I don't think I've been as excited about a new album as I am for their next one. I worry that it won't live up to the first album - not because it won't be as good, but because my expectations are so high. But no matter what happens, I'll always have the first album.

All of this gushing about that album, and I'm actually going to feature a song off their Sun Giant EP, released prior to the debut. It was packaged with the album in the vinyl version, so the two are interchangeable to me. While part of me felt I should be true to my first experience hearing the band and play "White Winter Hymnal," the song "Mykonos" has become my favorite, and is probably already on my list of all-time favorite songs (if such a list existed). Check out the harmonies at the end of the song - hope you like it at least a fraction as much as I do.

Song of the Day: The Von Bondies - C'mon C'mon

Unfortunately for The Von Bondies, they may be best known for the lead singer getting his ass kicked (or being blind-sighted, depending on who you believe) by Jack White.

Before that incident, I came across the band via this song, which was played often on Indie 103.1 when I first moved to LA.  I think this is a great song, though the rest of the album doesn't quite live up to it.

Song of the Day: Midnight Oil - Bushfire

I was never a big Midnight Oil fan - like most people (Americans, I should say, since these guys were huge in their native Australia) I know "Beds Are Burning" and then it pretty much drops off from there. I don't remember the impetus for my buying the Earth and Sun and Moon album, but it's a remarkably consistent album, and it probably begs the question of why I haven't checked out their other stuff. I'm not sure of the answer to that, but if more of the songs were as good as "Bushfire," I'd probably be more inclined.

Song of the Day: Clearlake - Almost the Same

I think I have to give Pitchfork credit for this one, as I remember reading this review. Although I never fell in love with the Cedars album, this is a standout track, and I was pretty excited to find the 45 on eBay last year.  Perhaps Pitchfork didn't have the clout in 2003 that it does in 2010, but let's just say I wasn't bidding against anybody for this record.  It's a shame, because this is a pretty good mix of Joy Division's "Isolation" and Brit Pop.

Song of the Day: Beth Orton - She Cries Your Name

I first saw Beth Orton on a PBS show whose name I can't remember - I think it was named after a New York address, like 105th and something (not 106 and Park, thanks), but I can't remember enough about it to even figure out keywords to Google. At any rate, I thought she had a great voice, and I got pretty obsessed with her first two albums. A decade later, I'm not quite as enthralled as I once was, but I still think there are some good songs on each of her albums, and I'd love to see her live. This is a standout track off her debut album, Trailer Park.

Song of the Day: Alfie - It's Just About the Weather

Another song from my early 2000s Anglophile phase.  I still think this is a really good song (and sounds a bit like The Clientele), but it's the only one I can name from their terribly-titled album If You Happy with You Need Do Nothing.  It's probably worth revisiting, as allmusic.com seems to think it's the work of "masters on the rise."

Song of the Day: Suckers - King of Snakes

It took a number of listens to get into the Suckers' new album, Wild Smile, but now I'm sold.  I think the singer's voice, particularly the falsetto moments, were initially an issue for me, but the harmonies really pulled me in, and now I think the singer is a genius.  I really like the guitar part in this particular song, and is that accordion I here?  I sure hope so.