What are you saying?
Mood:  lazy
I have been called here today to discuss with you the reigning queen of twee-pop, Amelia Fletcher. Known primarily for her participation in the band Talulah Gosh (86-88), and possibly Heavenly and/or Tender Trap. This is important knowledge for you, as it is vital you accept "Pebbles," into your heart to lead a full and healthy lifestyle.

It may be possible to live without the signature girlish twee pop (with a generous dash of punk), but I would not know, as I have not tried.

Talulah Gosh once had a lineup of Amelia Fletcher (vocals, guitar), Peter Momtchiloff (guitar), Elizabeth Price (vocals, tambourine), Robert Pursey (bass), Chris Scott (bass), Mathew Fletcher (drums), and Eithne Farry (vocals). Several other revivals of the whole or part of the operation have appeared under different names over the years.

To get you started on your immediate twee-tment (give me a break, I'm real tired here), here is my favorite track from Heavenly's debut mini-album 'Heavenly vs. Satan':

I Fell In Love Last Night // Heavenly

Mood:  lucky
Now Playing: Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas - Eels
Topic: Mash-ups!
Mash-ups don't get a lot of respect. Oh, sure, everyone downloaded West Sounds, the internet sensation that proved Pet Sounds + Kayne West does actually = something near cool. Everyone loves to hear the violins from Eleanor Rigby layored over Kraftwerk. Everyone secretly loves mash-ups.

But once you get called "Bastard Pop" by wikipedia.org, there's no way to salvage your dignity.

This year, Bebop Golems would like to change that. As our Christmas present to the world, we are going to put the cool back in mash-ups.



To begin with, Micheal Jackson ("Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough") + Le Tigre ("TKO!") for
Don't Stop 'Til You TKO!



But maybe you need a little more flava. No worries! We've got The Human League ("Being Boiled") teaming up with TLC ("Scrubs") for Being Scrubbed.

And that's not all! To kick you into a holiday mood, we get a Holiday Mash-Up!! Note the over-use of exclamation!!
The first person to identify both componants of this mash-up gets a prize. Maybe Put Your Head On My Shoulder/All Falls Down by West Sounds. You can't buy that in stores!

White Christmas

I have no words to sell.
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Avenge Vegas
Avenge Vegas would be an indie-rock ensemble from Georgia, founded in 2003 by Lauren McGinnis and Micah Silverman.

They have been compared (by fans) to Belly, Veruca Salt, Sleater-Kinney, Interpol, The Cranberries, and loads of other bands, but most of their inspiration is drawn from bands like The Cure and Radiohead.

One good reason to live in Georgia is the spoke-slow accent, and the fact that oranges grow there sometimes. But another good reason would be that Avenge Vegas is playing their last show there this Friday at Vinyl in Atlanta. If you live near, you should make sure to check it out.

Here's a song from their six-song release, Half-Devised Plots, which, though never officially released, is still very good:

The Hearts & The Knees // Avenge Vegas

Shake it out like a polaroid picture!
Now Playing: Eau D'Bedroom Dancing - Le Tigre
Topic: Tilly and the Wall

If someone asked me to pick the one band that, in my mind, best defines adolescence, I'd quickly respond,
TILLY AND THE WALL.
Maybe not my adolescence, but someone's adolescence. Just listen to their call!

We will sing pretty songs about love
And we will fight if that's what it takes
And we won't back down
No, we won't shut our eyes and go to sleep
We will write all over your walls
And we will dance to no music at all
We will do what it takes to get through to you!

Something about their tap-dance percussion and shout-along choruses is so deliciously personal that you can't help but feel like you're hanging out with the Tillies and listening to their new demo in their basement. They've got that "cusp of adulthood" thing going for them, but they still know how to play the bright-eyed innocence schtick as well (and not just because they're stuck on Conor Oberst's label, Team Love, hahahwit,etc).

Of course, they're far from making people listen to new demos in their basements. Their first full-length album, Wild Like Children, has been out for a while and has made its rounds with the hipsters. Right now, they're working on a new album, but just because it's important to drum up excitement before the big drop, I give you:

Wild Like Children for your listening pleasure, legally! from their label.

And if you want to just try one song to test the water, try Shake It Out.

Hands down, that was the best part of my week.
Mood:  lazy
Topic: The Secrets
I think sometimes a band is overlooked because of the sheer lack of material available, and people can't go around listing these bands as their New Favorite Band. People then lose interest. I mean those bands that make a couple of EPs and then decide, hey, this is a lot of work! So they quit (or join another band, or something like that). I don't blame them, I don't have the motivation to even start a band.

One of these bands is The Secrets. The Secrets are (were) comprised of Casey, Isaac, Martin, and Paul. They released an EP, Thin Cities, back in 2001, and then they had a collaboration with Stuttgart for another EP, The Secrets/Stuttgart Outstanding Handstands in 2002.

Sadly, The Secrets disbanded that same year. End of story. Pretty much.

I still really like the stuff that they've released, though. Thin Cities was a solid venture into electro-pop that everyone should own. Here's a track from Thin Cities:

Loneliest Duet // The Secrets

baby, I'm determined, and I'd rather see you dead
Mood:  suave
Topic: Rubber Soul Tribute
Due to my recent birthday cash flow, I've been buying a lot of albums lately. One of the more recents ones that I've loved has been This Bird Has Flown (A 40th Anniversary Tribute To The Beatles' Rubber Soul). You'll probably like it too, because it features lots of indie favorite for the covers, like The Fiery Furnaces, Low, Sufjan Stevens, Ted Leo, etc. So highly recommended. How can you go wrong with a Beatles tribute album, anyway?

Two of my favorite tracks are the Cowboy Junkies' Run For Your Life, and Dar Williams' You Won't See Me.

The Cowboy Junkies (official site here) cover is really amazing, the song is completely transformed from a weak album capper to something gritty and gorgeous.

I like the Dar William's (website here) cover because, although it doesn't do anything that covers much new ground, I love Dar Williams' voice. She also has a new politically themed album you should check out, My Better Self.

Run For Your Life // Cowboy Junkies

You Won't See Me // Dar Williams

Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Mood:  party time!
Now Playing: House is on!
Topic: britta and dean
So, it's my best girl's birthday.
What better way to commemorate this occasion than by actually posting in this thing?

Two summers ago, I heard a snatch of a song on TV. It was early in the morning, or late at night, and all I remember is stumbling around my room in the dark, feeling around for my remote so I could turn it up and see what was going on. Most likely, my television was stuck on one of the Music Choice stations that comes with our digital cable package, but I like to imagine it was some sort of divine intervention that caused those dulcet tones to meet my ears. The Forces Of The Universe wanted me to hear that song.
It ended before I could find out anything more about it, and I walked around for days thinking to myself:

You make the ice melt, the butter run
You are the ink stain, you are the one.

I googled it, and after five hours of searching (off and on), I found out it was called Night Nurse by Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham, whom you might recognize as members of Luna. Yes, the band that is blinded by Lovedust.

"Night Nurse" is possibly one of the most enchanting songs I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. It's one of those lush, sonic experiences that changes your life. Or something like that.

My lid is flipped!

But I'm also including the song, Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl by Broken Social Scene. Not only because P-Trish is turning seventeen, but because I've been listening to this song almost non-stop since the other day. It's such a simple, repetitive song, but it's so damned addictive. My heart goes pitter patter every time I hear Emily Haines coo,
Park that car
Drop that phone
Sleep on the floor
Dream about me
Park that car
Drop that phone
Sleep on the floor
Dream about me

Happy birthday, Trish!

you make me weak at the knees
Mood:  bright
Topic: Electrelane


So, I'm always a sucker for soft indie rock, which is why I like Electrelane so much. They're really good at cranking that stuff out. You've probably heard of Electrelane if you're a big Stereolab fan, as the two are constantly compared for their vintage electronic sound.

The band is comprised of four chicas, Verity Susman, Mia Clarke, Emma Gaze, and Ros Murray, and they've released a few albums, including The Power Out, 2004, which is my favorite and the best ever. Most of the earlier stuff was instrumental, but 2004 marks the point when they added vocals into the sound.

This is from the newest album, Axes, which came out this year, in May! Yeah, that's right.
Bells // Electrelane


And one from The Power Out, my favorite because of the pretty drums and keyboards.
You Make Me Weak At The Knees // Electrelane

God doesn't always have the best goddamn plans, does he?
Mood:  crushed out
Now Playing: Reconstruction Site - Weakerthans
Topic: Wolf Parade
Wolf Parade is one of those bands that shouldn't need an introduction. They've released a fantastic album, Apologies To The Queen Mary. They've toured with the Arcade Fire. They're from Montreal; everyone knows that Canadian citizenship automatically invests a band with five extra points of indie cred. In some alternate universe, kids are walking around their high schools proudly wearing Wolf Parade t-shirts and calling themselves as Lycanthropozz and Lycanthropettezz. This is the same alternate universe in which Stephin Merritt is widely recognized as the Messiah.

Wolf Parade is comprised of
Dan Boeckner,
Spencer Krug,
Hadji Bakara, and Arlen Thompson, and they think you should listen to their music.


In particular, they (as well as I) think you should listen to I'll Believe In Anything and Dear Sons And Daughters of Hungry Ghosts.

It's impossible to resist singing along:

Well I've got a hand
So I've got a fist
So I've got a plan
It's the best that I can do.
Now we say we're using god's hands
But god doesn't always have the best goddamn plans, does he?
La la la la la la.

you are the rocket fuel to my rocketship
Mood:  crushed out
Topic: 63 Crayons
Well, everyone knows that there are 64 crayons in a box of Crayolas. That might lead you to believe that a band called 63 Crayons is not quite... all there. I mean, almost, but not quite all there. I happen to think 63 Crayons is just as well as a whole box, really. The color missing is probably one of those horrible shades of regurgitation-colored green-browns, in which case the box is better without them.

Good People is a good album, most definitely! I mean, how many OTHER bands actually use a glockenspiel? None that I know! Not to mention all those other random jingly-jangly noises going on. I'd especially listen to this album if you were feeling like a regression to childhood might be a good idea, as the main themes seem to be rocketships, kiddos, and sharing McNuggets. Most of the vocals are done by Charlie Johnston, and some others by Suzanne Allison.

I uploaded two tracks today, because I'm not always lazy. Mice And Feathers is my favorite, it's super cheery. Well, they are all really positive. I just happen to be feeling positively positive!

Mice And Feathers // 63 Crayons
Walking // 63 Crayons