First up, Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins (who are also from Los Angeles) collaborated for a new album called Rabbit Fur Coat (iTunes, Amazon) from which we heard one of my favorite songs, "Rise Up with Fists!!". Next was WFMU dj Ed Shepp and his song "Partydance" from his most recent release Five (iTunes, Amazon). Then Britain's ever-producing Saint Etienne did "Side Streets" from their new album (which, sadly, just isn't very good) Tales from Turnpike House (iTunes, Amazon). And we finished up with a couple of tracks from the awesome and underrated R&B legend Billy Paul. First a great cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright", then "Am I Black Enough for You?" both of which can be found on Me and Mrs. Jones: The Best of Billy Paul (iTunes, Amazon).This episode features a clip from The Rachel Maddow Show from Air America Radio, as well as snippet from Bill Maher's I'm Swiss (Netflix, Amazon) standup comedy routine. His show, Real Time, will be back with a new season on HBO starting this Friday, the 17th!

(special music from recent movies episode!) First up Britain's Holly Golightly paired up with Cincinnati's The Greenhornes for the song "There Is an End" from the soundtrack to the Jim Jarmusch movie Broken Flowers (iTunes, Amazon). Next Nellie McKay's new album may have been temporarily canned, but we get our fix with the song "Black Sheep" from the iTunes-only soundtrack EP thing for Rumor Has It... (iTunes) which has six unreleased songs (which are also not on her still forthcoming album Pretty Little Head). Then we heard the classic New Order song "Age of Consent" because it was used somewhat awkwardly, but at best, unexpectedly in the trailer for the new Sofia Copala film staring Kirsten Dunst Marie Antoinette, the song can be found on their album named for the Republican Party Power, Corruption and Lies (iTunes, Amazon). Then Stevie Wonder's Syreeta did "Harmour Love" as heard prominently in the recent film Junebug (who's original songs were composed Yo La Tengo, but despite this, a soundtrack has not been released) so in the meantime you can get this song on her Essential (Amazon) record or by plunking down some serious cash at iTunes. Next, Scottish folks singer Bert Jansch did "Courting Blues" from the soundtrack (which is better than the film) set in my neighborhood, The Squid and the Whale (iTunes, Amazon), directed by Noah Baumbach. And we finished up this episode with a great song by cowboy poet, historian, and musician Don Edwards who has been making music since the mid-60s and is still putting out records. We heard "Coyotes" which can be found either on his album Going Back to Texas (iTunes, Amazon) or on, the soundtrack to the movie Grizzly Man (iTunes, Amazon) which is bad other than this song.This episode features a clip of Barbara Bush showing off her Marie Antoinette way of thinking. Read about it, and some of her other noteworthy statements here.

(First episode of Season 3!) First up, picking up where I left off, my favorite band out of Scottland Belle & Sebastian with "For the Price of a Cup of Tea" from their brand new album The Life Pursuit (iTunes, Amazon) which comes out next week. Next was dj outfit Duptribe with a great reworking of Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" called "SOS" (and technically, this was the "Trinity FM Radio Mix") from Samsung Chillout Volume 2 (Amazon). Then we continued down the path of electronic goodness with Mylo and "Paris 400" from their very purchase-worthy album Destroy Rock & Roll (iTunes, Amazon). And finally we wrapped up this episode with Owen Pallett's Hidden Cameras-esque band Final Fantasy and his song "This is the Dream of Win and Regine" from his album Has a Good Home (Amazon). This episode features a clip from The Onion's new podcast version of The Onion Radio News (subscribe).

(SPECIAL EXTRA-LONG, GUEST-HOST, BONUS EPISODE) One of my bestest friends Andy picks up my slack and hosts this special bonus show during my break. First he played us two tracks from the Violent Femmes; "Old Mother Reagan" from their less-than-hit record The Blind Leading the Naked (iTunes, Amazon), then their cover of the song "Epp Opp Ork Ah-Ah (Means I Love You)" (from the cartoon The Jetsons) from the compilation Saturday Morning Cartoons' Greatest Hits (Amazon). Next The Burning Sensations did "Pablo Picasso" from the 1984 soundtrack to the film Repo Man (Amazon). The he went all edutainment on us with a trip back to English 2 and Bob Telson and Lee Breuer's "Fair Colonus" and "Lift Him Up", both from Gospel at Colonus (Amazon) an adaptation of Oedipus at Colonus into gospel music. Next was 80's classic, Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based pop band Let's Active with "Flags for Everything" from their 1984 Cypress EP (Amazon). Then it was back to the gospel with The Blind Boys of Alabama doing "Amazing Grace" from their 2000 album Spirit of the Century (iTunes, Amazon). Then Tom Jones paired up with Portishead for the classic "Motherless Child" from Tom Jones: Reload (iTunes, Amazon). Next was Philip Glass featuring vocals by Bernard Fowler with "Changing Opinion" from the 1986 album Songs from Liquid Days (Amazon). And finally a band you're sure to never again hear on The Sounds in My Head, smooth-jazz sensation, the smooth operator herself, Sade with "Immigrant" from her 2000 Lovers Rock (iTunes, Amazon) record.Note: The Blind Boys of Alabama were also featured on The Sounds in My Head last year at this time, with the very same song no less. You can find that episode here.
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

(Last episode of season two!) First up, Canada's legendary jewish, hip/hop, mix-master Socalled did "Cowboy Song" from his upcoming album (due next year) Ghettoblaster (in the interim, you can download this song from his site). Then Los Angeles' power pop outfit (that are as much Space Hog as anything people call them) The 88 did "Nobody Cares" from their new album Over and Over (iTunes, Amazon). Then the lovely and talented Nellie McKay paired up with k. d. lang for "We Had it Right" which is on her brand new record Pretty Little Head (which comes out next week, iTunes, Amazon). Next was California's Goldspot with "Cusp" from their new album Tally of the Yes Man (iTunes, Amazon). And we end this season of The Sounds in My Head with Belle & Sebastian doing a live rendition of "Seeing Other People" from their recently released (espcially in the US) iTunes exclusive If You’re Feeling Sinister (Live) album (iTunes).

(extremely special, extremely weird, extremely long, all-talking episode called: 30 hours in prospect park) In this highly unusual episode of The Sounds in My Head, I tell the story of why I spent 30 hours in Prospect Park this Fall. It involves me and my girlfriend's cat, Senator Pink Ears, a poodle, the police, some firemen, a super hero, blood, and oh so much more. You don't want to miss it! But be prepared to pay attention for about an hour for this episode of The Sounds in My Head which is far more like This American Life. The video Kelli references can be seen here. The Music I talk over is as follows, in this order: "Cat Scratch Fever" by Moog Cookbook, "An Evening in Park Slope" (iTunes) by 33.3, "The Pink Panther Theme" (iTunes) by Henry Mancini, "Fuzzy" (iTunes) by The Incredible Moses Leroy, "Kitty's Waltz" by Caleb Sampson, "Fall Two" (iTunes) by Matt Pond PA, "Wild Cats of Kilkenny" by The Pogues, "Up a Tree Again (import version)" by Looper, "Climb the Ladder" (iTunes) by Of Montreal, "Cat O'Nine Tails" (iTunes) by Combustible Edison, "Dick Tracy" (iTunes) by The Ventures, "Kitty" (iTunes) by The Presidents of the USA, "Big Green Tree" (iTunes) by The Essex Green, "Running Meredith" by Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, "Sleeping Pill" by Luna, "Sparkplug Minuet" by Mark Mothersbaugh, "Good Morning Good Morning" by The Beatles, "Kitty's Waltz" by Caleb Sampson, "Impossible Mission" (iTunes) by Danny Elfman, "Main Titles (The Dick Tracy Theme)" (iTunes) by Danny Elfman, "Wild Cats of Kilkenny" by The Pogues, "Christmas Time is Here (instrumental version)" (iTunes) by Vince Guaraldi

(SPECIAL EXTRA-LONG CHRISTMAS MUSIC EPISODE) First up New York City's I Am the World Trade Center with "The Rockefeller Tree" from the Christmas Two compilation from indie-label Kindercore (Amazon). Then the UK's Joy Zipper did "Christmas Song" from their recent album American Whip (iTunes, Amazon, SoundFix). Then sibling duo Blondfire did "Underneath the Mistletoe" from their brand new Holiday EP which was released exclusively through iTunes. Next was Boston's twee-goodness The Specific Heats with "Winter Fashions" from the Total Gaylord Records compilation Christmas Twee (online store). Then the increasingly ubiquitous Sufjan Stevens did "Put the Lights On the Tree" which can be downloaded along with 23 other xmas songs, for free, from here. Next was Michigan's Wally Pleasant with "Merry Christmas Time Again" from his essential album Welcome to Pleasantville (online store). Then we heard Rudolph & the Gang with "Here Comes Fatty Claus" a song you probably haven't heard on NPR or anywhere else where John Waters has been interviewed talking about the recently released John Waters Christmas album (iTunes, Amazon). Next was the best Tom Waits cover I know of, The New Pornographers' Neko Case doing "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" from the Tom Waits tribute album: New Coat of Paint: Songs of Tom Waits (iTunes, Amazon). Then we heard a clip of French/Norwegian husband and wife duo from Brooklyn Mi And L'au's and "Christmas Soul" from their self-titled album (iTunes, Amazon, SoundFix). And we finished up this special extra-long episode with another Blondfire song, from the same new EP (iTunes), "It's Been Christmas Here" is my favorite new xmas song of the year. This week's episode has 2 clips from The Daily Show with John Stewart you can see the full clips at One Good Move, here and here. Need more great xmas music? Links to last year's three xmas episodes:
Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3