I don’t really know how to start this post, but uhm, Ryan Gosling is one of my favorite actors. I’ve been trying to watch more of his movies recently, as a good fan should! That is how I learned the man can sing and play instruments, and listening to them on YouTube informed me that he actually has a goshdanged band! They certainly do not sound anything like what you might expect from a band with a movie star, which is to say they are pretty darn good. This song in particular mentions zombies a million times and has backing vocals by a whole damned children’s choir. To top it off, it sounds to me like a love song. It is definitely different and almost certainly awesome.  I need to learn some instruments so I can sing it to some zombie-lovin’ ladies (i.e. the best kind).

After the smorgasbord of country music that featured in my bit of either/or’s best of 2012 post, you’d think I’d be up for a reprieve this year. No such luck! If anything, I’m pretty damn consistent.

Today’s spot of country comes from a chap called Andrew Bird, and like all great country music, it’s mournful, pretty, and sung with an amazing elegance. More please!

There were a handful of songs that I heard sporadically throughout the nineties that embodied an ethereal spirituality and, for one reason or another, stuck with me. Dreams by Fleetwood Mac and In the River of Dreams by Billy Joel (there’s a recurring theme here) to name two, and another being this track. Sure, laugh off the Bee Gees if you must (hey, Stayin’ Alive is still pretty damn catchy), but the group was incredibly prolific and we never even bothered to acknowledge when one of the two remaining members, Robin Gibb, passed away. So sit back and enjoy one of the best pseudo-Australian groups ever!

Look at this crazy new design! I did all of the work on it, and by all of the work, I mean, uhm, none of it. Close enough, right? That AJ sure is one crazy cat.

My hard drive died about 5 years ago, and one of my backup discs didn’t work, so everything that started with A-E was gone to the ages. I haven’t bothered downloading all of that music again, and actually ended up buying a bunch of CDs to fill the gaps. But a few months ago, I noticed that I hadn’t downloaded OR bought anything by Bright Eyes, which is weird, since I really like them (their latest few albums notwithstanding). Some may not appreciate the vocals which can indeed get a bit whiny at times, but it’s not like it’s Fallout Boy or anything. The music and the lyrics actually took talent to create! Anyway, this is probably one of my favorites of theirs, so enjoy!

Man, Hugh is not the only one who can post some toe-tapping goods. I am all for toe-tapping! Thankfully, Canada has come to save the day with this bit of supremely fun rock. It sounds like something I’ve heard before, and because I am a knowledgeable music journalist, I will tell you the name of that similar song is… I can’t remember. Luckily, my utter stupidity doesn’t stop this from being great!

Okay is a band with a name that I feel is entirely too modest. They have a bunch of songs that I would be remiss to get rid of because they are just so darned good. Sadly, their singer is apparently quite ill to the point that he lives with his parents and he hasn’t released any new music since 2008. To me, that is all the more reason to appreciate what music he has already bestowed upon us! This is a short song, not even 2 minutes long, but it’s all about quality and not quantity with me!

After a week of awesome Beatles tunes, what is the perfect thing to follow it up with? Hardcore Australian punk, of course! This tune keeps it simple: fast, messy, crunchy and a heck of a lot of fun. Also, the album is called CIAO-A-BUNGA!, so I really don’t know why you’re not immediately buying it.

It is that time again! If you are wondering what time I am referring to, you are silly. Clearly I am referring to obscure 1960s British folk! For my money, this is one of the greatest songs of that generation (though there are tons in that particular group). If you are a fan of golden oldies and awesome folk music, definitely give this song a listen.

It is safe to say that I post more depressing songs than not, so rather than post some gem that will leave you sobbing in your pillow, how about one that leaves you tapping your toes? Yeah, that’s the ticket! I’ve written about Girls before, and so hey, why not again? Get to tappin’ them toes before I make them cry again!

I’ve been familiar with Bedouin Soundclash for some time now, but not their music. Is that weird? Probably. Anyway, I heard one of their songs randomly on Spotify and went “holy moly, this is awesome.” It probably helped that it had guest vocals from one of my favorite singers, Coeur de Pirate. Mmmm, alternative reggae with sexy guest vocals.