I get a sparkle in my eyes

Here's some songs exiting the Heavy Rotation list but worth mentioning...

"I've Been Fighting For You" - American Royalty - Passive-Aggressiveness Break-Up song.  You think he's apologizing for himself but it's really all on her.  Either that or he's saying instead of fighting for Girl 1 he should have been fighting for Girl 2.  Hard to tell as the lyrics are kinda blurry.  Annnnnyway, it's still a good song, over-analyzers be damned.

"Lost in the Light" - Bahamas - The Bahamas dude is all Jason Mrazzy here but without, y'know, Jason Mraz.  Whereas the last song was a break-UP song, this is a break-IN song about a new relationship where the singer finds himself sleeping next to someone he barely knows and starts fretting about all the shit that can go wrong in the relationship.  It's for that slow jam tape, bra.

"Atlas" - Beth Jeans Houghton - She's in a relationship with a dude that's way older than her and they sit up at night and look at the atlas and she realizes how much more shit he's seen in his life.

"Our Glowing Days" - Boxeur the Coeur - This is like listening to what would happen if the Funeral-era Arcade Fire met the Suburbs-era Arcade Fire and those other records in-between never happened.

"When the Open Road is Closing In" - Blue Eyed Blacks - Probably the most mainstreamy song on the list today, a slightly boozy country folk piece.  Its yeah kinda corny - doing the whole "life is the open road" and "truckstops" are those five years of your life you wasted and you know keep yer chin up, take another swig, it's alright because you "won't be coming home again."  Y'know, think positive.

"Lights" - Farmer Sea - Vintage photo as the album art, check.  Hushy vocals, check.  offbeat instrument (mallets), check. Driving beat that places the focus on the first beat, check.  Yeah, it's an indie rawk und roll song.

"In The Hearts of Men" - First Aid Kit - They were playing with Barbies only a few years ago and now they're writing better cuntry-folk songs than their elders have written in years.  This is like the fourth track of the album I've showcased, I think.

"Creek of a Lonesome Town" - Francis - Another N. Euro band from Pigeons and Planes people.

"When You Have Gone" - Highasakit - A slower one from the All That Floats LP.  Features clop-clop temple blocks in a three four ballad.  If that Twin Peaks bar was still open, this band would be booked.

"No Love" - Hooray for Earth - Anthem in an 80's chord progression.

"Hang-Ups of the West" - The Kabeedies - Another fine one this group.  Again, props to the drummer.

Computer Love

Never heard of Agent Side Grinder but I hear they're big in Sweden.  Like the girl with the dragon tattoo.  Comparisons to a certain Deutsche group creep in though - the cover image for the ASG album kinda makes a pretty broad hint, too.  Didn't Sweden try to conquer Germany?  Well, then this is the second invasion.  Gotta listen to the rest of their album.

Links:  Agent Side Grinder site kinda makes me think of Depeche Mode, too.

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"Night's Song" - Say Anything - Turns they will say anything and while I'm unsure why I'm listening to a song that actually uses the word "Byronesque" and rhymes "moon" with "swoon", I have to respect that stream of conciousness lyrics shouldn't be messed with too much and it perfectly captures the young adult angst of a lovesick dude wandering around the streets obsessing over some chick.  Teenage Ukele cover in 3, 2, 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ecUh5VwsOw

"sheena is a t-shirt salesman" - Future of the Left.  Silly political song masquerading as a right decent slab of punk rock.

"Corridor" - The Plastic Traps - Garage blaster from two-dude Phillie outfit who sound nothing like Black Keys or My Morning Jacket and that's so a good thing.  Song has been around for(a year)ever but just showed up on Spotty so it's worth throwing into the must play list.

"Candles" - Daughter w/Igor Haefeli, Elena Tonra - Delicate little folkie sings about some rotten guy abusive affair she's in.  What would singer-songwriter chicks do without bad boys and the nasty things they do to girls on their birthdays.  My sarcasm aside, the song does break you when she sings the voice-cracking bumper line to her chorus, "like we're in a crime scene."  Powerful arrangement for what sounds like a three-piece.

"Point Back" - It's a Musical - Girl-boy pop N. European band have a signature song with this organ/synth/drums cut.

"His Song" - Luke Roberts - Bleary slightly scary 60's style folk-twanger about life and shit (it lends itself to multiple interpretations but I suss that its about the ol' 'search for self' (answer: under the sofa) thang).  I hear fiddle, acoustic, bass, unprocessed drums and a great electric solo halfway through.

"Good as New" - Vacationer - Laid back soul pop with just a veneer of more recent production sensibilities.

"Maria Marie" - Thieves Like Us - Drolly sinister (reverse) stalker song - watch out for Maria Marie, she's following you type of vibe.

"These Days" - Dr. Dog - my first listen to Dr. Dog's new album, I thought it was just an utter piece of shit, nothing like the early stuff when I was the only person listening to them.  My second and third listen kept on confirming it but then this tune kind of popped up to the top of the Dogpile and now its in my Top 40.  Life is fucking cruel and strange.

"Quick!" - The Magnetic Fields - Another fucking masterpiece breakup song from one of America's best rhyming songwriters.  

"Grass Stain" - Waxahatchee - This week's unrequited (post-breakup) song winner goes to Waxahatchee from their recent American Weekend LP.

"On The Day" - Conduits - Mysterioso song for some future movie montage scene - you know the one where all the major characters retreat into their corners to lick their wounds and look soulfully at clocks, mirrors and people down on the streets.

"Always Sad" - Drunken Prayer - Who knew bar band pop was a worthy genre?

"Safe & Sound" - Taylor Swift, The Civil Wars - I have never listened to a Taylor Swift song for more than 10 seconds until this.  Always thought it was some sort of joke being foisted on us like just about every other "top music artist"... but if it takes a young adult fiction tweener movie to inspire her to write more pretty tear-rending pop-folk songs like this, then I'm aboard the Taylor Swift train.  #shaniatwainwho #teamTaylor

"Breaking the Yearlings" - Shearwater - Took awhile for this to show up on Spotify.  As usual, a nice complex piece although the album itself is somewhat overshadowed by other acts who have outdone Shearwater at their own game.  This cut captures the bands brilliance, though, even if the rest of the album still hasn't excited me as much.

"Humble Digs" - Beth Jeans Houghton, Hooves of Destiny - Speaking of which, here's yet another stellar cut from Ms. Houghton's recent masterpiece.

"Smoke and Mirrors" - Gotye - Another guy in the "Top 30 Musical Artists" in the world that doesn't yet suck.  

"Plage" - Crystal Fighters - Indie kids keep on showing their love for Paul Simon's Graceland years after Vampire Weekend broke.  Don't go figure, I already did for you.  This is the twee song of the moment.  Get it.

"Green" - Paul Weller - One of the greater song-writers of the New Wave era (The Jam, Style Council) is still kicking against the pricks and he's doing so quite impressively if his new album is any measure.  This is but one of the latest batch of mighty songs that I've been spinning out of it.