Ray LaMontagne – Trouble (2003)
When Trouble came out it was hard not to become overwhelmed by the power and depth of Ray LaMontagne. The title track is entirely timeless, instantly bringing on comparisons to Van Morrison and Otis Redding, with Ray’s rich and impassioned vocals rising above perfectly nuanced guitars and strings, echoing his quietly devastating meditations on life and love which is the soul of this release.
mp3: Ray LaMontagne – Trouble
mp3: Ray LaMontagne – Forever My Friend
mp3: Ray LaMontagne – How Come
Download Trouble
MySpace | Website

The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
This album is quintessentially The Shins. Cryptic lyrics filled with poetic imagery, overlapping guitar and vocal melodies, and mountains of hooks, pervade their inventive and challenging style of pop music, creating an entirely unique piece of art.
mp3: The Shins – Mine’s Not A High Horse
mp3: The Shins – So Says I
mp3: The Shins – Gone For Good
Download Chutes Too Narrow
MySpace | Website

Modest Mouse – The Moon And Antarctica (2004)
The tracks on The Moon and Antarctica are groundbreaking, hypnotic, sublime and expansive. Modest Mouse is able to successfully instill even the most desolate musical climates with warmth and emotion. Here they achieve an album, not solely a collection of songs.
mp3: Modest Mouse – 3rd Planet
mp3: Modest Mouse – Gravity Rides Everything
mp3: Modest Mouse – Wild Packs Of Family Dogs
Download The Moon & Antarctica
MySpace | Website

Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous (2004)
This album captures the essence of Rilo Kiley – introspection, humor, and defiance all riding on sweet melodies and raging superbly executed guitar. It’s gorgeous, textured indie pop with singular, yearning vocals from a saucy albeit wise Jenny Lewis riding on exceptional musicianship.
mp3: Rilo Kiley – It’s A Hit
mp3: Rilo Kiley – Portions For Foxes
mp3: Rilo Kiley – A Man/Me/Then Jim
Download More Adventurous
MySpace | Website

Metric – Live It Out (2005)
The smart, fierce pop rock of Metric is sophisticated, gusty, and filled with razor-sharp social commentary. Their 2nd album powerfully showcases it all. Emily Haines viciously glimmers.
mp3: Metric – Empty
mp3: Metric – Handshakes
mp3: Metric – Police And The Private
Download Live It Out
MySpace | Website

My Morning Jacket – Z (2005)
When Z came out all I wanted was wrap myself in the sonic blissfulness of “Wordless Chorus”. MMJ’s 4th album sees the band proceeding forward without fear or shame, shaping a sound distinctly their own. Fiery guitar, folk-inspired melodies, soaring rock passages, and psychedelic flashes marry sublimely with Jim James’ legendary vocals.
mp3: My Morning Jacket – Wordless Chorus
mp3: My Morning Jacket – It Beats 4 U
mp3: My Morning Jacket – Off The Record
Buy Z
MySpace | Website

Thievery Corporation – The Cosmic Game (2005)
My favorite of Thievery’s releases, The Cosmic Game, incorporates flawlessly fused collaborations from vocalists such as David Byrne and Wayne Coyne atop lush, down-tempo beats, dub, and sounds, melodies and instrumentations from around the globe.
mp3: Thievery Corporation – Satyam Shivam Sundaram (featuring Gunjan)
mp3: Thievery Corporation – Warning Shots (featuring Sleepy Wonder and Gunjan)
mp3: Thievery Corporation – Holographic Universe
mp3: Thievery Corporation – The Heart’s A Lonely Hunter (featuring David Byrne)
Download The Cosmic Game
MySpace | Website

Band of Horses – Everything All The Time (2006)
From the opening chords of Everything All The Time to the final honeyed melodies, this album is a true beauty. Ben Bridwell’s voice penetrates each song, riding on the dense, textured layers of Band of Horses enchanting rock reverberations.
mp3: Band of Horses – The First Song
mp3: Band of Horses – The Funeral
mp3: Band of Horses – St. Augustine
Download Everything All The Time
MySpace | Website

Thom Yorke – The Eraser (2006)
The pulsating beauty of Thom Yorke’s solo debut is dazzling. Dark, hopeful, and glitchy, The Eraser washes over you like a sonic storm.
mp3: Thom Yorke – The Eraser
mp3: Thom Yorke – Black Swan
mp3: Thom Yorke – Atoms For Peace
Download The Eraser MySpace | Website

Just found this beautiful duet between Rachael Yamagata and Ray LaMontagne as I forage for music that strikes me. The song appears on Yamagata’s 2008 release, Elephants… Teeth Sinking Into Heart. This song brilliantly captures all the possibility of bringing these two vocalists together, each singing parts of the song on their own and coming together for a “hmmm” and a series of phrases at the end. The essence of Yamagata’s voice invites comparisons to Ray’s as at the core she sounds like a female version of LaMontagne. Her voice is sultry, raspy and raw and offers heartbreaking emotional intensity. Her lovelorn, often mournful songs of relationships and heartache offer a intimate understanding of what is felt deep at heart. This delicate track is no different.

mp3: Rachael Yamagata – Duet – Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart (2008)

Oh Lover, hold on
’till I come back again
For these arms are growin’ tired,
And my tales are wearing thin

If you’re patient I will surprise,
When you wake up I’ll have come

All the anger will settle down
And we’ll go do all the things we should have done

Yes I remember what we said
As we lay down to bed
I’ll be here if you will only come back home

Oh lover, I’m lost
Because the road I’ve chosen beckons me away

Oh lover, don’t you roam
Now I’m fighting words I never thought I’d say

But I remember what we said
As we lay down to bed
I’ll forgive you oh
If you just come back home

Hmmm mmmm
Hmmmm mmmm

Oh lover, I’m old
You’ll be out there and be thinking just of me

And I will find you down the road
And will return back home to where we’re meant to be

’cause I remember what we said
As we lay down to bed
We’ll be back soon as we make history.

Yamagata began as the vocalist for the Chicago funk-fusion band Bumpus. After six years writing, recording and touring with the group, and having written a number of songs that didn’t fit Bumpus’ funk style, Yamagata took the plunge into a solo career. In 2002, she landed a two-record deal with Arista’s Private Music and her self-titled EP was released that October. Yamagata’s first full-length album, Happenstance, came in June 2004, followed by 2 EPs, Live at the Loft & More (2005) and Loose Ends (2008), and a second studio album, Elephants… Teeth Sinking Into Heart in 2008.

This girl has been quite busy over the past few. Yamagata sings on Toots & the Maytals’ True Love (2004), made an appearance on Jason Mraz’s second album, Mr. A–Z (2005), adds vocals to “Barfly” on Ray LaMontagne’s Till the Sun Turns Black (2006), and on “Let it Ride”, “Sweet Illusions”, “Cold Roses”, and “Friends” off of Ryan Adams’ Cold Roses (2005). She was invited to sing backup on six tracks on Bright Eyes’ album Cassadaga (2007). She co-wrote “Kaleidoscope” with Jill Cunniff, formerly of Luscious Jackson, for Cunniff’s solo album City Beach (2007) and plays keyboards and sings. Yamagata also contributed a song to Mandy Moore’s 2007 release, Wild Hope and supported many of Moore’s live appearances. Yamagata’s songs have also been featured on a long list of TV shows, including Charmed, ER, Grey’s Anatomy and The O.C. Now that’s impressive.

Currently, Yamagata is on tour with The Swell Season (featuring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova of the movie Once), both who will appear at the Ogden in Denver on November 29th. For those of you who haven’t seen Yamagata perform live, her honesty unabashedly oozes sex appeal. You should be tempted.

Nov 12 – House Of Blues, New Orleans, Louisiana
Nov 13 – Warehouse Live, Houston, Texas
Nov 14 – The Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, Texas
Nov 15 – Paramount Theater, Austin, Texas
Nov 17 – Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda, Mesa, Arizona
Nov 27 – Egyptian Theater, Boise, Idaho
Nov 28 – Jeanne Wagner Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah
Nov 29 – Ogden Theatre, Denver, Colorado
Nov 30 – Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, Missouri
Dec 2 – Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Dec 3 – Chicago Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
Dec 4 – The Pageant, St. Louis, Missouri
Dec 5 – State Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Website| MySpace

Download through Amazon: Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart