"podcasts-music" via Rav

Australians Kate Cooper and Damon Cox make up An Horse. The two recently released their full-length debut, Rearrange Beds, on which they tackle a simple enough formula: drums, electric guitar, and failed relationships for lyrical fodder. It's dangerous territory for some bands. It's easy to turn those ingredients into melodrama or an exercise in the trite. But An Horse uses its confessional lyrics to create 10 immediately recognizable tunes, with toe-tapping beats. It's a combination that led the duo to opening spots on tours with Death Cab for Cutie and Tegan & Sara.

A spectacular live recording of Neil Young performing in 1968, made just before the release of his very first solo album, is about to be made available for the first time ever. Sugar Mountain won't be out until December, but we've got the title track for you here as a sneak preview. We've also got an exclusive preview of new music from Sweden's Loney, Dear. The new album, Dear John, is due out in January, but you can hear the track "Airport Surroundings" now. Also on this edition of All Songs Considered: Nigerian musician Asa, legendary African guitarist Franco, ringtone composer Max Richter, and the Portland, Ore. duo Musee Mecanique.

Seattle-based Unbunny is primarily the work of singer and songwriter Jarid del Deo. His latest album, Sensory Underload, is a compilation of previously unreleased material spanning Unbunny's 12-year career and takes a look at many of del Deo's personalities: from introspective folk musician to pop humorist.

We've come up with many excuses to have artists come in and perform Tiny Desk Concerts at the workspace of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. Some are too quiet to be well-served by traditional live concerts, while others are little-known staff favorites who wouldn't ordinarily receive a large-scale webcast presentation. Usually, it's just an opportunity to bring in artists who, for one reason or another, haven't gotten as much of our attention as we'd like to give them. We've certainly given a lot of attention to the Austin, Texas-based band Shearwater in the past couple of years. But that didn't stop us from asking the band in for this intimate performance at the NPR Music offices.

By-the Numbers, the latest from Miami trio The Postmarks, is a collection of 12 cover songs originally by artists as diverse as David Bowie, Bob Marley and The Ventures. Despite the eclectic mix of genres in the originals, The Postmarks have transformed them all into innocent and lovely pop gems.

ADVISORY: THIS LIVE CONCERT AUDIO CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE THAT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES. —————————————————————————————- Conor Oberst spent the past decade making a name for himself as the youthful, quivery-voiced frontman for the arty folk-rock band Bright Eyes. But from the moment he took the stage at Washington, DC's 9:30 Club, it was clear he'd put that personae behind him, at least for now. Slightly older and more confident, Oberst offered a loose mix of material from his new, self-titled solo album, with the help of the Mystic Valley Band — a group of close, longtime friends Oberst assembled for the CD and tour.

Up until this summer, Los Angeles-based singer Alex Lilly had been known mostly for her role as backup singer for pop duo The Bird and the Bee. Recently, however, Lilly embarked upon a new project and took the spotlight for herself. With the help of 10 of her friends, she's created the band Obi Best and recorded the keyboard-driven pop debut, Capades.

When you meet temptation and the urge is very strong ….

I’m sure that Tricia suggested this topic for the podcast because she knows that nothing is better for expressing your happiness than a really good whistle. So pucker up and squeeze one out!

You can hear to the podcast here:

You can also download the podcast using this direct link or subscribe to this and future podcasts using our RSS feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/ContrastPodcast.

Playlist:

(00:00) DeVotchKa - The enemy guns

Tricia

(05:58) Alfredo Linares y su Sonora - El Pito

The In Crowd from I’m Learning to Share!

(10:10) Alphabeat - Public image

FiL from Pogoagogo

(15:11) Paul K and the Weathermen - Golden opportunity

Greer from A Sweet Unrest

(18:33) Loose Fur - The ruling class

Natalie from Mini-Obs

(22:44) Rammstein - Engel

Adam from Pretending life is like a song

(27:07) DJ Riko - Whistler’s delight

Chip from Atomic Ned

(33:54) Geert Chatrou - Basilique de la bicyclette

Tim from The face of today

(37:32) Morgan Manifacier - I lost my dog

ZB from So the wind won’t blow it all away

(42:19) Lenlow - Bjorn slippy

Chris from Culture Bully

(47:50) Jan Turkenburg - Water

Eiron from The S+7 Method

(51:51) Less than Jake - Malt liquor tastes better when you’ve got problems

James from Appetite For Distraction

(54:43) Half Man Half Biscuit - Reasons to be miserable (part ten)

John Q.

(59:23) Elliott Smith - Jealous Guy

Dirk from Sexy Loser

Thanks to all of you for putting your lips together for this episode. Next time we will be starting a series about the human body that was suggested by JC aka The Vinyl Villian. Our first stop will be right at the centre of things with The Heart. If you would like to participate you’ll find some instructions nestling over here.

Also, could you please take time to suggest the music you would like to hear in this year’s Festive Fifty. All you need to do is:

1. Choose up to 50 (yes fifty) songs that were released in 2008 that you like. If you can only think of 10 .. don’t worry .. just send 10!

2. Send the list to contrast.podcast@gmail.com starting with your favourite track at number 1.

3. Do this by Sunday 16th November at the latest .. and try to get other people to vote too .. please!!

4. I will compile a short list of the top 100 songs which we will vote on to be in the top 50 and then start inviting people to record introductions.

5. Any questions? …. good … get thinking!!!

Please leave a comment about the podcast by clicking here.

The whistling boy lives in Lyon.

Jim White is a storyteller first and a musician second. It's a kind of storytelling rooted in his own unusual history: He grew up in Florida in a deeply Pentecostal community and fell in love with the white gospel music he heard. But from there, White took a surprising path to becoming a full-time musician. He was a professional surfer, a boxer, a fashion model in Milan and a cab driver in New York City. White's travels recently took him to Washington, D.C., where he stopped by the offices of NPR Music for this live performance.