something in the air...

i'm feeling a bit atmospheric this month... lots of evocative choices, with the idea of being transported to a different time, a different place, familiar or foreign. without any further ado, here is the march '06 mix:

1. panda bear | untitled 3
2. saito | track 1
3. jason collett | hangover days
4. scissor sisters | take me out
5. nat king cole | if i may
6. mike birbiglia | secret public journal 1.17.06
7. loose fur | the ruling class
8. spirit of the west | home for a rest
9. broken social scene | backyards
10. michael blake | in the arms of ali
11. the cardigans | in the round
12. cat power | empty shell
13. andrew bird's bowl of fire | two way action
14. feist | it's cool to love your family
15. finley quaye | even after all
16. orchestre baobab | coumba

panda bear's album, young prayer is an abstract tribute to a lost loved one. beautiful album with great ups and downs. i couldn't find any information on the mysterious saito, but his japanese take on nick drake/americana has been lodged in my ipod for the last few months, where it'll stay for quite some time. hangover days includes the wonderful amy millan from stars, but comes from broken social scene's jason collett's album, idols of exile. george michael/elton john torchbearers scissor sisters transform franz's take me out into a mid-80's classic. if i may is possibly my favorite nat king cole arrangement, and an illustrative example of the evocative mood i was going for with this mix. mike birbiglia's inclusion is a bit tangential, but his comedy has been stuck in my mind for the last couple of weeks. check out his podcast, secret public journal on itunes. loose fur (i.e. lucifer) is jeff tweedy and glenn kotche's side project alongside sonic youth's jim o'rourke. this track was initially entitled crack-smoking jesus, but toned down slightly for public consumption. however, the lyrics were not... i think anyone can identify with spirit of the west's home for a rest, perhaps particularly our friends abroad right now (you know who you are) so this one is dedicated to you guys, as well as my camp friends. broken social scene returns with backyards, a fun little mess of a tune. saxophonist michael blake mellows the mood with in the arms of ali, a beautifully produced track. i think he and ben allison have the best produced jazz albums out there right now. thanks to my neighborhoodies pals for turning me on to the cardigans' in the round. clap your hands (you'll see when you listen to the song). cat power brings her supermodel voice to the country on the greatest. i've been getting into andrew bird's older catalog, and this album with his former band bowl of fire reminds me a lot of summerteeth-era wilco. feist's older catalog brought forth this gem, it's cool to love your family, playing on her 80's pop sensibilities. there are any number of places you could have heard finley quaye's even after all, and if you haven't, here it is. i saved the most atmospheric track for last, with senegal's orchestre baobab performing coumba, singing, "it was you who told me that i was the light of your life / it was you who told me that the sky and heavens are always blue." this song never fails to put me in another place. perhaps those of us that have been to senegal would like to expound on that, but i'll leave that be.

download:
http://bazoomercom.com/ari/March%20'06.zip