is the best song in the world tonight:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uDjuZ7T25M]

I had actually missed this album completely even though I’m a big fan of NQ Arbuckle (I bought all of their albums about a year ago and especially the last two are brilliant). Just found out a couple of days ago that such an album has been released. I didn’t know Carolyn Mark beforehand, but I’m glad we met. I might need to check her solo material also. This album that joins together these canadian country/folk heroes is a really great record.

NQ Arbuckle is not the only thing I’ve missed. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent last three months buying almost only soft pop, sunshine pop, psych pop reissues. Anyway, I didn’t know that indie pop group Pants Yell! had a new album out on Slumberland. I’ve been following them for a long time and this new album is really good. Might be their finest album yet.

Then there’s stuff that I knew was out, but I hadn’t heard before the last week or two. Lucero’s new album is quite surprising. There’s horns, I mean a lot of horns. It took some time to get used to that but I’m starting to love it. It’s like Damn Seagulls Soul Politics with a bit more country if you want a finnish reference.

[vimeo vimeo.com/6853929]

Lately I’ve been also listening to a lot of Slaid Cleaves latest country album, Cheap Trick’s Latest, Deer Tick’s Born Of a Flag Day, The Higher State’s Darker By The Day, Bobby & Bergen reissue etc. Oh and Yo La Tengo’s album sound pretty amazing on spotify. I need to go and buy myself a copy. And that Dave Rawlings Machine is a must as well. And I’ve been waiting for David Bazan’s album to arrive on my doorstep for a quite a long time. Hopefully it comes before christmas.

Oh and I bought mp3s for the first time. I really wanted to hear those Pants Yell!, Slaid Cleaves and Carolyn Mark & NQ arbuckle as soon as possible, so I subscribed emusic because I got 45 free downloads to go. Kind of stupid, because I’m a materialist jerk so I know I’m gonna buy those as a CD also. Well at least I finally got those couple of The Avett Brothers albums that are impossible to find on CD or vinyl. I’m not planning to stay on (emusic) board for a long time, but it’s been quite fun actually. I still got 14 credits left, so if you have good ideas, give me a shout.

I’ve been putting together my albums and songs of the year lists. I think it might go beyond christmas before it’s done, because I’ve introduced so much of fantastic stuff to myself during the recent weeks. This time I’ve done a retro top 20 list as well and that should be ready later this week, because it’s already half written.

After all this craptalk I can say that Bobby Emmett’s album is still the most magnificent thing right now. I just love that album.