Nothing says "summer is here" like hot, sticky, 95 degree days in Chicago. Am I right or am I right? And nothing cools down your sweaty palms like a nice cold beer.

So yesterday I was drinking a 22 oz. bottle of Hop Juice (a powerful double IPA with an AVB of 9.9% and and IBU of 100.1 that is a hophead's dream come true) from Two Brothers Brewing and thought that a repost was in order. I've revised the list a little, but presented below are my top five summer beers.

5. Straub Beer
Straub comes from beautiful St. Marys in the hills of west-central Pennsylvania. They don't use any added sugars, salts, or preservatives. This is pure beer. Straub Beer is another American lager that is light in color and taste but oh so tasty. Whenever we go back to visit my wife's family, we always bring a few cases of Straub back with us. Definately a much better alternative to another PA brew, Yuengling. Straub just tastes like vacation to me.

4. Alpha King Pale Ale
This beer is a hop-lover's dream come true and is one of my brother's faves as well. This is a pale ale with a citrus aroma but is dominated by the hops flavors. Three Floyd's brews a ton of great beers from their home in Munster, IN. I suggest sipping on an Alpha King while relaxing on your porch or deck and soaking up the sun.

3. Old Style
The best place for an Old Style is the ballpark. More specifically, the best place is Wrigly Field. Whether you prefer the bleacher seats or something more refined, a nice cold Old Style is perfect to wash down a few hot dogs or a bag of peanuts. This classic American lager goes down smooth and easy. This is evident by the vast number of people that stagger out of Wrigley after every Cubs home game. It might be that a copious amount of Old Style is the only way we Cubs fans can cope with the mess that this franchise is, oh yeah, it also goes down like water on hot day.

2. Fat Tire Amber Ale
Fat Tire is brewed by New Belgium Brewery in lovely Ft. Collins, CO. They are known almost as much for their innovative and eco-friendly brewing practices as they are for their beer. Fat Tire (as are the others) is spectacualr year-round, but the nice hops/malt balance is perfect for hot summer days. It is way to easy to knock back a few of these after a day of hiking, biking, or doing nothing. And now that Fat Tire is finally available seemingly everywhere in Chicagoland, I am a very happy guy.

1. Bell's Oberon
Ahhh...this is the true taste of summer. Oberon is only available from April until September, so get it while the getting is good. It is an American wheat ale that is a bit spicy with a fruity aroma that is perfect for hot summer days. Located in downtown Kalamazoo, MI, the Kalamzoo Brewing Company brews a number of my favorite beers, Oberon included. If you are ever in the neighborhood you should definately stop by and visit their awesome beer garden. We have made a few trips to Kalamazoo just to stop at Bell's, with another one planned for Spetember. I almost bought a 5 liter mini-keg of Oberon yesterday. What was I thinking?

All that beer talk is making me thirsty. I could have named a bunch more, but this list will do just fine. Let me know what you like and remember to drink your local microbrews.

Remember how 'House Of Jealous Lovers' was the jam about 3 years ago? Well, The Rapture is back and have a new album called Pieces Of The People We Love slated for release on September 12th. Evidently they worked with a bunch of super producers including Danger Mouse. Here is the first single.

MP3 | The Rapture - Get Myself Into It Pieces Of The People We Love

It is gonna be hot as hell this weekend for the Pitchfork Music Festival. Hopefully things cool down in Chicago a little for next weekend's Lollapalooza. One band that I will hopefully get to see again (for the first time in probably 8 years) is Poi Dog Pondering. Virtually unknown outside of Chicago, they are an eclectic blend of rock, various world musics, and electronica. Be sure to check them out if you get the chance. And here is another batch of tunes from Lollapalooza performers. It's less than a week away!

MP3 | Manu Chao - Desaparecido Clandestino
MP3 | Secret Machines - Alone Jealous & Stoned Ten Silver Drops
MP3 | Hard-Fi - Hard To Beat (Axwell Remix) Stars Of CCTV
MP3 | Coheed And Cambria - Blood Red Summer IKSOSE:3
MP3 | She Wants Revenge - I Don't Want To Fall In Love S/T
MP3 | SOUND Team - Handful Of Billions Movie Monster
MP3 | Trevor Hall - Proof Of Destruction The Rascals Have Returned
MP3 | The Shins - New Slang (Live) Live At First Avenue 2003
MP3 | Poi Dog Pondering - The Hardest Thing Volo Volo
MP3 | My Morning Jacket - Off The Record Z
MP3 | Cameron McGill - As Ready As I'll Never Be EP1

Braid was one of my favorite bands, and when they called it quits in 1999, I was sad to see them go. And while the many releases from former Braid singer/guitarist Bob Nanna (Hey Mercedes & City On Film) have been enjoyable, I've really come to love just about everything that (also former Braid singer/guitarist) Chris Broach has done.

Chris has put out records with varying lineups of The Firebird Band, L'Spaerow, as part of Life At Sea, and is even working on a solo record. All this while running the awesome Lucid Records. It seems almost as if he is endlessly creative and never runs out of ideas.

Now, while Bob Nanna was more the straight-forward rock and roll part of Braid, Chris (in my opinion at least) added the interesting touches that made them one of a kind. He has continued that experimentalism in his post-Braid work and has mixed electronica in with his rock music. In fact, he seems to have almost ditched the rock almost entirely and with great results. His dark and atmospheric soundscapes provides a perfect, sometimes mysterious, often nostalgic, and always beautiful backdrop for his understated poetic lyrics and almost spoken vocal delivery.

If you aren't familiar with the work of Chris Broach, you should be. The Firebird Band is playing Sept. 6th in Chicago at The Empty Bottle. Listen up!

MP3 | The Firebird Project - South Shore Drive Feel Alright EP
MP3 | Braid - Circus Of The Stars Please Drive Faster 7"
MP3 | The Firebird Band - Nothing Not Dance Party The Setting Sun And Its Satellites
MP3 | The Firebird Band - Distance The Drive EP
MP3 | L'Spaerow - Front Step City S/T
MP3 | The Firebird Band - Obsessive Compulsive The City At Night

Do any of you remember that Jamiroquai video where the singer is trapped in a moving room? Well, if you imagined that Paul McCartney was trapped in the room instead of Jay Kay (the Jamiroquai singer), and you might get close to what the new Shane Bartell record Too Soon To Say sounds like. It is full of relaxed, loungey pop songwriting that I could easily hear all over the radio.

The album has a very laid back feel that is built around Bartell's easy vocals. Hell, you could even play this for your mom. Bartell isn't breaking any new ground with this release, but that's not the point. He is a pop songwriter and it is obvious that he knows what he does well and sticks to it. Too Soon To Say is out now on Sarathan Records. RIYL: Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, Ben Folds, etc...

MP3 | Shane Bartell - Harris Park Too Soon To Say
MP3 | Shane Bartell - Don't Believe Everything Too Soon To Say

Another Lollapalooza post. Can you even belive the amount of great bands that are playing? So many decisions on this band vs. that one. Head over to the Lollapalooza official site for maps and more details about the festival. You can even download schedules and maps to your iPod. I can't wait. My young cousin Sam (he's 14) told me to be sure to check out The Editors and also The Violent Femmes while we were wakeboarding last weekend. I'll be sure to do just that.

MP3 | Ween - Freedom Of '76 Chocolate And Cheese
MP3 | Musical Outfits - Routine Of The Dancer Left Here
MP3 | Lyrics Born - Rise And Shine Later That Day...
MP3 | The Benevento/Russo Duo - Soba Play Pause Stop
MP3 | The Dresden Dolls - Karma Police (Live) Rarities & Live Stuff
MP3 | Jim Noir - Key Of C Tower Of Love
MP3 | QOTSA - Go With The Flow Songs For The Deaf
MP3 | The Hold Steady - How A Resurrection Really Feels Separation Sunday
MP3 | Panic At The Disco - London Beckoned... A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
MP3 | Andrew Bird - A Nervous Tic Motion... The Mysterious Production Of Eggs

The Antiques are a southern California pop band with influences ranging from The Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones to The Pixies. Their shimmering pop rock (as you might guess) encompasses a lot of "classic" sounds and is full of folkish elements while also managing to rock at times. Their latest album Nicknames And Natives was recently released by Banter Records and was recorded at John Vanderslice's Timy Telephone studios. This is good stuff. Have a listen.

MP3 | The Antiques - Gun Shy Nicknames And Natives
MP3 | The Antiques - Silver Lining At The X EP

Because JT requested "more pictures of her band t-shirts," I've posted a picture of my daughter in her Wilco shirt. Tell me she ain't the cutest thing you've ever seen.

And since the rest of you may be wondering how my daughter has been doing in the months since her illness back in April, here is a little update. Hailey is now rolling back to front and back and itching to get moving. She has four teeth that have made her quite a crabby girl the last month. She loves to eat finger foods and says ma ma (not sure if she knows what it means though).

There you have it. In other (less important) news, today is my birthday and we are going up to the northwoods of Wisconsin for the weekend. See ya next week!

As Lollapalooza quickly approaches, these posts will be coming more frequently. Here are a few more from some of the artists that will be playing this year's festival. Lots of good stuff including the Chili Peppers covering The Ramones, The Subways covering TV On The Radio, and even a new Cursive song. I'm not happy about having to miss their set early on Friday, but I've seen them before so I guess I'll live. Oh yeah, Towers Of London aren't playing.

MP3 | The Subways - Staring At The Sun
MP3 | Of Montreal - Disconnect The Dots (Mixel Pixel Remix)
MP3 | Red Hot Chili Peppers - Havana Affair
MP3 | Jon McLaughlin - Places I Already Know
MP3 | Cursive - Flag And Family
MP3 | Nickel Creek - Tomorrow Is A Long Time
MP3 | Anathallo - Hoodwink
MP3 | Catfish Haven - Please Come Back
MP3 | Ohmega Watts - That Sound (Ft. Noelle)
MP3 | Matt Costa - The Ballad Of Miss Kate

Now we are all aware that the focus of this series is on the history of Chicago punk rock, but with the release of their new album it just seems fitting to focus this volume on Rise Against. Even though they are still a relatively new band, they have already made quite a mark.

Rise Against formed in 1999 from the ashes of the great Chicago bands Baxter and 88 Fingers Louie and burst onto the local punk scene with their Transistor Revolt demo in 2000, and then onto the national scene a year later with their Fat Wreck Chords debut The Unraveling. The record blended Chicago's emotional harcore with fast poppy California skate-punk and gave the band an outlet for lyrics demanding political and social change.

The band then released Revolutions Per Minute on Fat Wreck in 2003 before they made the jump to a major label for 2004's Siren Song Of The Counter Culture on Dreamworks. That album introduced the band to a wider audience, and found them (as on their latest) adding quieter MTV ready songs to their repitoire. Even so, Rise Against still retains the tenacity and energy that made a fan in the first place.

Their latest album The Sufferer & The Witness was just released a few weeks ago and climbed as high as #10 on the Billboard 200. Their sound is a bit more refined and Tim's vocals might have a little less grit to them now, but (lucky for us fans) the band shows no signs of letting up.

MP3 | Rise Against - Join The Ranks Transistor Revolt
MP3 | Rise Against - Six Ways Til Sunday The Unraveling
MP3 | Rise Against - Anyway You Want It Revolutions Per Minute
MP3 | Rise Against - Like The Angel Revolutions Per Minute
MP3 | Rise Against - The First Drop Siren Song Of The Counter Culture
MP3 | Rise Against - Done With The Compass The Sufferer And The Witness

I really need to get moving if I'm going to feature a song from every artist appearing at Lollapalooza. This is the fourth installment and features a bunch of great stuff including an awesome blusey version of "New York (2x)" from Ryan Adams and a song from the Towers Of London that borrows a few Vanilla Ice lyrics. I also found out today that I don't have to work on the 5th and (thus) won't miss anything on day 2 of Lollapalooza. Nice.

Oh yeah, I also contributed a song to Contrast Podcast 16. Check it out.

MP3 | Ryan Adams - New York, New York The Loft Sessions
MP3 | Common - Go (Ft. John Mayer & Kanye West) Be
MP3 | Be Your Own Pet - Bicycle Bicycle You Are My Bicycle S/T
MP3 | Mates Of State - Fraud In The 80's Bring It Back
MP3 | Kelley Stoltz - Memory Collector Below The Branches
MP3 | Towers Of London - Air Guitar Blood Sweat And Towers
MP3 | The Rapture - House Of Jealous Lovers Echoes
MP3 | Aqualung - Strange And Beautiful S/T
MP3 | Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday
MP3 | Living Things - Bom Bom Bom Ahead Of The Lions

Does anyone know what happened to the Murder By Death that released the album Who Will Survive And What Will Be Left Of Them? back in 2003? I liked that record, but if it is indeed the same band, the Indiana quartet is certainly a much different sounding one these days.

On their recently released (and J. Robbins produced) album In Bocca Al Lupo, which when translated from Italian means in the mouth of the wolf, I swear it sounds almost as if Johnny Cash replaced Tim Kasher as the frontman for Cursive as they plow through Reverend Horton Heat tunes. Somehow (strangely) it works really well. The dusty narratives seem anything but contemporary, but the album (although my wife disagrees) packs a punch and finds the band holding onto a trace of their emo roots.

I recall seeing Murder By Death open for a friend's band at the Fireside Bowl a few years ago and thinking only, "What an awesome band name." They have now looked into the mouth of the wolf, killed the wolf, and are wearing its hide. Go buy this record now. Its not leaving my playlist anytime soon.

MP3 | Murder By Death - Brother In Bocca Al Lupo
MP3 | Murder By Death - Sometimes The Line Walks You In Bocca Al Lupo

The wife and I headed out yesterday to see one hell of a punk rock show featuring Lifetime, The Bronx, and The Loved Ones at Metro (which is now awesomely smoke free). We met up with my sister and her boyfriend Tim and Amy's our good friend Jolene. Anyhow, The Loved Ones went on first and played a super tight set with a number of songs off their latest record Keep Your Heart including the one below.

MP3 | The Loved Ones - Suture Self Keep Your Heart







Next up was The Bronx from (of all places) Los Angeles. They mix the hardcore punk rock intensity of Black Flag with the cock rock swagger of bands like Guns 'N Roses and Buckcherry. Very nice indeed. They pummeled through a bunch of songs including some from their new self-titled album which comes out this Tuesday.

MP3 | The Bronx - Oceans Of Class S/T







Finally, Lifetime took the stage for what was their first Chicago show in about 10 years. Do I even need to explain just how crazy and incredible their performance was? They were unbelievably tight and had the crowd (me included) singing along to every single word. I haven't been in a pit like this one since the last time Kid Dynamite played Chicago. It was a totally amazing set that made me feel (for about an hour) ten years younger. Oh yeah, my wife Amy took the Lifetime pictures below while I was busy losing my voice. They closed the show with the song below from which this blog's title is taken.

MP3 | Lifetime - Ostrichsized Hello Bastards





Here is one last picture of Amy and Jolene. Awww...

Are you a fan of metalcore giants Killswitch Engage? Well, so am I. I can't wait for their new album (whenever that might be released). So my brother lent me their DVD (awesome!) and I just started running again, so I've been listening to a lot of KSE lately.

Lucky for us the band recently released a new song on the WWE Wreckless Intent compilation as well as a great cover of the Dio tune "Holy Diver" on the Kerrang! High Voltage compilation. Rock.

MP3 | Killswitch Engage - This Fire Burns WWE Wreckless Intent
MP3 | Killswitch Engage - Holy Diver Kerrang! High Voltage

While there have been may great albums reased thus far this year, one of my personal favorites is the little gem that is Forever Ruth by Washington DC's Rosemont Family Reunion. Kyle and Lissy Rosemont weave elements blues, folk, lounge jazz, pop-rock, bluegrass, and alt-country into a musical tapestry they themselves describe as "digital Americana."

Their sonic quilt is patterned from Kyle's gravelly croon, which is nicely balanced by Lissy's more delicate vocals, and the whole beautiful mess of patchwork is tied together with little atmospheric electonic bits. Forever Ruth is a soulful record that is full of both happiness and sorrow, but (ultimately) what really hooks the listener is the gorgeous melodies. It's is an eclectic and intoxicating album that slowly reveals more deatils with each additional listen. Head over to their website and pick up a copy of the album today.

Kyle Rosemont was also kind enough to answer a few of my questions and actually give some details about this mysterious band. (Questions in bold, Kyle's answers in italics.)

Who exactly is the Rosemont Family Reunion? Are you actually a family? Give us some more info on the band.

The Rosemont Family Reunion started as a solo project to record and release material I'd written in college. I wrote the bulk of Forever Ruth while in Gainesville FL attending UF - after moving to Washington DC I started recording and releasing stuff under that name. Then a friend introduced me to Lissy, and we immediately hit it off, so I scrapped my then pretty hazy plans for the album, rearranged a bunch of material, wrote some more, and we recorded it over a year and a half at home.

But we kind of did things backwards - most folks would have formed a band, then recorded an album. Now we had an album and no band - so we gradually formed a fantastic rhythm section and started playing shows. The family moved from something more theoretical to something more concrete - funny how one thing kind of defines the other.

So you are or aren't related?

Perhaps I would now go into two sets of answers, one that is more or less accurate, and the other that is more fun - you can pick between the two

1. We're a family in that we're a collective making art together. I love every Rosemont as I would a brother or sister.

2. Indeed we are a family. We all established our bonds during the great Rosemont Reunion of '02 in Dahlonega, GA. Previously, we'd been a part of several Rosemont clans - I of the Floridian Rosemonts (a group known for their canoe prowess and love of Lynyrd Skynyrd) and Lissy of the Georgian Rosemonts (who pride themselves in lepidoptera research and a critical appreciation of Big Bill Broonzy). The area had flooded and I had salvaged a spare door and was riding that to safety, when I found Lissy, contentedly perched (barefoot) ontop of an Airstream she'd safetied away. Having been a state away, we would only see each other at the ten year reunions (Rosemonts meet in state-wide annual events and inter-state on decades).

Upon connecting and ferrying her Airstream to safety, we discussed our shared love of the Carter Family and some of the more obscure Chess recordings. I'd previously written some material, but upon being reacquainted with my opposing musical half, we rearranged the material, released it, and picked up Jason and Shareef (Virginia Rosemonts, an odd breed skilled in rhythmic pounding and moonshine production).

DC is known for having a vibrant and progressive music scene. Is that something The Rosemont Family feels like a part of? How has being from DC influenced you? Has it helped/hurt the creative process?

To me I feel like DC is more a part of the band than we are a part of DC. DC, as a city, has this electric personality - everybody is here because they think this is the place they can change the world in. You might not agree with their methods or routes, but their passion has to be admired. This passion and immediate potential for change is reflected in the music, I think. In terms of the general scene of DC, we were essentially a bedroom project until four or five months ago, so it's hard to have the perspective necessary to answer that question. We've met a lot of fantastic people in the scene around here, and hope to meet a lot more - but we're babies in the grand scheme of DC.

What music are you listening to at the moment?

Hmm...new to me or just new? On my playlist lately has been: the Flying Burrito Brothers, Beatles' White album, greatest hits of Al Green, The Name of this band is Talking Heads, Os Mutantes' first two albums, and Randy Newman's 12 Songs. Oh, and the Songs of Leonard Cohen.

How about new (recently released) music? Is there anyone that really impresses you right now?

Ah - right now. OK - the most recent Sufjan Stevens album, the Vashti Bunyan album Lookaftering, Kicking Television, the live Wilco album, and the new Camera Obscura album.

How would you describe the band for those unfamiliar with your music?

I would say, "Imagine Bob Dylan, John Cage, George Gershwin, and Jeff Mangum driving through the desert at night in an el Camino powered by voodoo."

What about a combination of Al Green and the Flying Burrito Bros?

That's what we're shooting for - I think we fall broadly into Americana, which is a pretty loosely defined genre to begin with. I want Rosemont to be musical collage artists, taking what we like from what we like, and leaving the rest.

What's next for The Rosemont Family?

I've been writing a lot for the next album which we hope to record this fall, it's going to be a huge batch of character studies, which I'm really excited about. I got really interested in musical systems of taxonomy during the last album and developed this system to track influence on creating, so I'm hoping to employ that to a greater degree during this next project.

Seriously folks, pick up a copy of the their album Forever Ruth and you will not be disappointed. Listen to the tracks below if you need extra convincing.

MP3 | The Rosemont Family Reunion - Stomp Forever Ruth
MP3 | The Rosemont Family Reunion - Olive Forever Ruth

Calling all bloggers from Chicago and the surrounding area. I am stealing a page out of the Contrast Podcast handbook and attempting to put together a collaborative podcast featuring submissions from my fellow Chicago-area bloggers. The theme is 'your favorite Chicago music past or present' and should consist of a song and spoken intro. Drop me a line if you are interested. The deadline for submissions is August 1.

Are you just itching for some music from At The Drive-In? Well, if you are, I don't have any, but I do have the next best thing. The Mars Volta have posted a new song from their forthcoming album Amputechture on their Myspace page. The album is due out August 22nd. Coincidentally (or not) Sparta also has a new song posted to their Myspace page. It is the first single from their forthcoming album Threes which is due out on October 10th.

Sorry this post is a day late folks. Having a teething 9 month old that hasn't wanted to sleep has taken up a little bit of my time. It just breaks my (emo) heart to hear her wailing. Funny how sometimes things are more important than blogging.

Anyhow, the question of the day is who out there is going to Lollapalooza in August? How about Pitchfork the week before? I will be attending both and hope to see you there as well. Both dates are fast approaching so here is yet another batch of tunes from artists playing this year's Lollapalooza. Enjoy.

MP3 | Kanye West - Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix Ft. Jay Z) Late Registration
MP3 | Sonic Youth - Incinerate Rather Ripped
MP3 | Wolfmother - Woman S/T
MP3 | The Frames - Love Will Tear Us Apart Bootleg
MP3 | Boy Kill Boy - Suzie Suzie EP
MP3 | Husky Rescue - Summertime Cowboy Country Falls
MP3 | Broken Social Scene - 7/4 Shoreline S/T
MP3 | The Bon Mots - Under Wraps Le Main Drag
MP3 | Cold War Kids - We Used To Vacation Up In Rags
MP3 | Katie Todd Band - In And Around Make Some Time For Wasting

Hey everybody! What are you all trying to do to me here? Why didn't anyone tell me how awesome the new Birdmonster album No Midnight is? You did? Really? Oh. We'll yell at me a little louder next time. I evidently didn't listen before.

I finally (yes finally) got the new Birdmonster album, and it is fan-freakin-tastic. Just like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Tapes 'n Tapes, Birdmonster is the latest band to deservingly rise to the top via word of mouth and internet hype. They play non-standard Americana-influenced energetic indie rock that reeks of Modest Mouse, Springsteen, beer, and sweat. Their live shows are (from what I've heard) also not to be missed.

If you happen to be the one or two pepole out there that hasn't given this band a very serious listen and picked up No Midnight, do yourself a favor and buy it here.

MP3 | Birdmonster - Balcony No Midnight
MP3 | Birdmonster - All The Holes In The Walls No Midnight

My oh my how fast the time goes. Did you know that Can You See The Sunset From The Southside (this here blog) is officially one year old today? That's right. I've been filling up my little corner of the blogosphere with songs for your listening (dis)pleasure and commentary for an entire year. The question is why?

A lot has changed in the last year. The guy that inspired me to start blogging (Jacob from Cannot Be Trusted) is no longer blogging himself, last October we welcomed a beautiful little baby girl (Hailey) into our family, and the site went through a makeover in Novemeber of last year (with another fresh coat of paint only a few months ago). What will the next year bring? There is no way of knowing.

Right now I'm watching a live Pixies performance from their 2004 tour and trying to think of a great way to celebrate the 1 year birthday/anniversary of this blog. Maybe some live Wilco tunes? Maybe something in the spirit of summertime? Yeah, that sounds good.

Just like listening to reggae music (for me at least), listening to country music (not alt-country music) makes me think of places far away from Chicago's suburban sprawl and just kickin' back and having a good time. Escapism I guess. And even though this blog is better known for posting stuff like The Blood Brothers, Mission Of Burma, and miscellaneous punk bands, I too have some guilty pleasures. Leave a comment and wish this here little blog a happy birthday.

MP3 | Toby Keith - Whiskey Girl Shock'n Y'all
MP3 | Phil Vassar - Six Pack Summer Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
MP3 | Josh Gracin - Nothin' To Lose S/T
MP3 | Trace Adkins - Rough And Ready Comin' On Strong
MP3 | Gretchen Wilson - Redneck Woman Here For The Party
MP3 | Dierks Bentley - Whiskey Tears S/T
MP3 | Tim McGraw - Something Like That
MP3 | Travis Tritt - When Good Old Boys Go Bad My Honky Tonk History
MP3 | Brooks & Dunn - You Can't Take The Honky Tonk Out Of The Girl Red Dirt Road
MP3 | Brad & Shelly - He Only Talks About Her When He Drinks He Only Talks About Her...
MP3 | Brad Paisley - Mud On The Tires Mud On The Tires
MP3 | Tracy Byrd - Drinkin' Bone The Truth About Men
MP3 | Trick Pony - Pour Me S/T
MP3 | Alan Jackson - Pop A Top Again Under The Influence
MP3 | Phil Vassar - Just Another Day In Paradise S/T

There is nothing quite like an ice cold drink on a hot summer day. Musically speaking, reggae is that drink. Songs that bring to mind the tropics. Sunshine, blue skies, sandy beaches, palm trees, ocean breezes, etc...

Originally by Toots & The Maytals, and featured in the 1972 film The Harder They Come starring Jimmy Cliff, "Pressure Drop" is probably (ok almost certainly) my favorite reggae song of all time. I can't really give a specific reason why I like the song so much. It's just a grrreat upbeat song. So in the spirit of the summer, here are a few different versions of the song. Lace up your dancing shoes and do the reggay.

MP3 | Toots & The Maytals - Pressure Drop
MP3 | The Clash - Pressure Drop
MP3 | Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds - Pressure Drop
MP3 | The Specials - Pressure Drop
MP3 | Toots & The Maytals (ft. Eric Clapton) - Pressure Drop
MP3 | Monty Alexander w/ Ernest Ranglin - Pressure Drop
MP3 | The Oppressed - Pressure Drop

Is Rachael Cantu the American equivalent of Beth Orton? Maybe (perhaps with less club influence and more rock bleeding through). Whatever your opinion, her EP (a mini album really) Run All Night serves as a great introduction to this bi-coastal singer/songwriter based out of both LA and Boston.

Although the songs are primarily of the songstress-with-acoustic-guitar variety, Rachael is not afraid to flesh out the arrangements. She does so on "Saturday," which is as infectious as any song Kelly Clarkson or Liz Phair has released in recent years, and it will most certainly be part of my soundtrack to this summer. In fact, Rachael has opened for the likes of Ben Lee and Tegan & Sara on recent tours, and Tegan even contributed some vocals to the EP. With songs ranging from dark and introspective to sunny and cheerful, Rachael proves that she can do it all.

Run All Night is out now on the always great Q Division Records.

MP3 | Rachael Cantu - Hear My Laughter Run All Night
MP3 | Rachael Cantu - Saturday Run All Night

The Boston band Francine strikes me as a bit of a rare bird these days. As a rock band that walks a fine line between radio-friendly accessibility and sonic experimentation, they bring to mind a combination of Toad The Wet Sprocket, The Notwist, Radiohead, Elliott Smith, and all that was great about mid-nineties modern rock. On their latest (and third) full-length album Airshow the band lays down track after track of wonderfully complex and layered melodic pop-rock with no discernable leanings towards any one polarizing sub-genre.

Unlike their sophomore effort 28 Plastic Blue Versions Of Endings Without You (which was produced by John Dragonetti a.k.a. Jack Drag), the band has traded some of their breezier pop-rock moments in for something a bit darker, moodier, and more introspective. Francine's hushed, minor-key melodic rock is perfect with coffee on a lazy Sunday morning but also while winding down after a night out on the town. I'm actually quite surprised that the songs on Airshow aren't being played on radio stations everywhere. This band should be huge.

Airshow is a warm, pleasant, and inviting album that even after repeated listens somehow never gets stale. And while it isn't an indie rock album (by any means) it is something that indie kids will probably enjoy while (strangely) also managing to be an album that they could play for their parents without any chance of offending them. Go over to the band's Myspace or Purevolume pages for more music from this great band including a few of my favorites off the new album. Airshow is out now on Q Division Records (thanks Andrea).

MP3 | Francine - Zeros And Ones Airshow
MP3 | Francine - Connectionless Airshow

With the disappointment that was Naperville's Ribfest, I really need to hear some live music outdoors. Evidently the fire marshall stopped allowing people into Ribfest shortly after 5PM yesterday evening. We arrived at about 7PM to see REO Speedwagon (they went on at 8PM) but were turned away along with a few thousand other people. What a joke.

In the wake of last night's Ribfest fiasco, I can't wait for Lollapalooza. Here is another batch of tunes for all of you to sample from some of this year's Lolla artists.

MP3 | Feist - Mushaboom (Postal Service Remix) Open Season
MP3 | Hot Chip - Over And Over The Warning
MP3 | Midlake - We Gathered In Spring Trials Of Van Occupanther
MP3 | Nada Surf - Popular High/Low
MP3 | Mute Math - Stare At The Sun ST
MP3 | The Flaming Lips - Yeah Yeah Yeah Song At War With The Mystics
MP3 | Sleater Kinney - Wilderness The Woods
MP3 | Calexico - Lucky Dime Garden Ruin
MP3 | Lanz - Grow Up Previously Unreleased
MP3 | The Standard - Red Drop Albatross

The new album from Mission Of Burma (The Obliterati) has been in heavy rotation over here at CYSTSFTS? lately. That means it is really, really good. Here is what a few reviewers wrote:

"The Obliterati succeeds in proving that Mission of Burma is not only capable of a comeback and a return to form, but also has exponential potential to evolve and thrive as a working band. No throwbacks or nostalgia trips are necessary, the band is moving only upward, onward, and forward, bristling with fervent intensity." - Stylus

"They're making their noise their way, the same way they did some two decades ago. And it's a sound as vital and inspirational as ever." - Pitchfork

"Essentially, if you dig the sound of Burma, this album will be an enjoyable listen, as the band has the same fury and depth they've always had." - Tiny Mix Tapes

"The Obliterati shows us why people really cared when Burma resurfaced in 2001. This new album has all the rock, creativity, and anthemic punk drive that made the band great back in the early ‘80s, yet still lets the band forge new ground. As of right now it’s the best punk record of the year and ought to finally earn Burma the praises so eagerly and undeservedly heaped upon its immediate predecessor." - Cokemachineglow

I've listened to The Obliterati enough lately that it might (curently, at least) be my favorite Burma album. One thing is certain. These guys are still playing with an intensity that is rarely seen from musicians twenty years younger. Their latest is out now on Matador Records.

MP3 | Mission Of Burma - 2wice The Obliterati
MP3 | Mission Of Burma - Is This Where? The Obliterati