Shufflin' On A Sunday Afternoon: Noah and the Whale -- "The First Days Of Spring"

This morning I immediately began thinking about what song I would post for "Shufflin' On A Sunday Afternoon," but luckily my iPod did the thinking for me. Oddly enough, this was the first song I got on shuffle this morning and it just felt so right considering the time of the year. If you enjoy this song, which I will assume you will because it is amazing, you should also listen to the album, which shares the same name as this song. There are many albums and songs that I will like a lot and often obsess over, but this is a rare album and song that I and many others fell in love with on first listen.

-- Greg

J Mascis -- "Several Shades Of Why"

Since 2008 there have been three folk albums that I have obsessed over: 2008's For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver, 2009's Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle by Bill Callahan, and last year's The Wild Hunt by The Tallest Man On Earth. When I think about these records and then think about what folk album I will possibily fall in love with this year, one of the last musicians that really comes to mind is J Mascis. J Mascis, for those of you who aren't familiar with him, fronts Dinosaur Jr., who are "alternative rock" legends in my mind. It is precisily this reason that I wouldn't expect that Several Shades Of Why, released just a few days ago on Sub Pop, would be a folk record that I would like... a lot. Mascis sounds as experienced as he sounds refreshing on Several Shades Of Why. I think the album art for this record really says a great deal of how the album plays... and I don't mean weird. It's as if Dinosaur Jr. took a nice long nap on a cool winter's day.

-- Greg

COVER: Fran Healy -- "River" (Joni Mitchell Cover)

Winter is finally coming to a close, which normally would excite me (the cold and I do not get along), but I gotta say that I think I may actually miss the winter a little and it is mainly because of songs like the following. Joni Mitchell's "River" is not just one of my favorite Christmas (or winter) songs ever, it is just one of my favorite songs ever. It is a breathtakingly beautiful song and covering it ain't easy. However, Fran Healy, a super under appreciated singer/songwriter originally in Travis, really hit the mark in his cover of the song for A.V. Club's Holiday Undercover. While many of you will just skip the video until Healy starts playing, I recommend watching the beginning, in which Healy discusses his relationship to the song and Joni. Fran Healy is just awesome. If you like this please check out Healy's most recent album and Travis.

-- Greg


Fran Healy covers Joni Mitchell

Shufflin' on a Sunday Afternoon: The Equals -- "Hold Me Closer"

I was first introduced to this song through NPR's end of the decade podcast about a year and a half ago, which is fantastic (highly suggested). This song is obviously not from the past decade, but actually from 1968. Carrie Brownstein explained that the past decade was truly remarkable because of the internet, most specifically youtube. One can now hear something and view/listen to it immediately, which is truly something to marvel at. So, long story short, I loved "Hold Me Closer" when I first heard it, but seemed to forget about it for about a year, until yesterday I was stumbling around the intertubeweb and BOOM! I find The Equals' "Hold Me Closer." For those of you who aren't familiar with The Equals, they are a North London based soul/pop band who came to popularity in Europe during the mid 1960's. While "Hold Me Closer" never reached the acclaim that "Baby Come Back" did, it is still a truly fantastic fun party song. I love it!

-- Greg

Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx -- "Running"

When I first read of the Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx project I, like others, was ecstatic to hear the finished album, I'm New Here. I saw two relevant creative forces (well... at least its's amazing for Gil Scott-Heron to still be a relevant force in music) combining two very distinct sounds to create something fresh. However, when I heard the first single, "NY Is Killing Me," I wasn't the biggest fan (sorry, don't kill me). I don't know. It just felt kinda forced. Nevertheless, I still got a copy of the album and it finally hit me when I heard "Running." The sound that Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx are putting out to the world finally clicked when I heard "Running." It's an absolute gem. Unlike my first listen of "NY Is Killing Me," which left me feeling a slight competition between the old and new worlds of music, "Running" is rather a meeting place for both. It is poetically creative as it is compositionally (from a production stand point). I can't get enough. Give it a listen.

-- Greg