Friday Random Five (#19)

Another random five random appearance here, and yeah, we know it's technically early Saturday-- don't hold us to that and we won't necessarily hold to the random or the five parts either. We go far and wide for this one, tending toward the new and (we think) interesting.

1- Jolie Holland has called her latest, Springtime Can Kill You, "a picture of a lovesick, convoluted mind." Maybe that's how it manages to be so lovely and unsettling at once. The voice is beautiful, but the off-kilter changes never let you get too close. Like "Crazy Dreams" (MP3).

2- To Brazil! Home of Carnival, a 900 ft. Jesus and, apparently, Cansei de Ser Sexy. The Sao Paulo band's self-titled debut is out July 11th on Sub Pop and "Let's Make Love & Listen to Death from Above" (MP3) ain't bossa nova.

3- And now, Pela (no, not Petra, that's something completely different). Who or what is Pela? A promising-sounding band straight outta Brooklyn, it seems, and it would appear they've been at it a little while now. "Lost to the Lonesome" (MP3) is new from them and we like it.

4- Since we don't want to get crackerfied Stephin Merritt style, here's a bone: Dr. Octagon (aka Kool Keith) returns June 27th with The Return of Dr. Octagon. The neat part is that "Ants" (MP3) is so good this ain't a bone at all. It just happens to come from that small segment of the hip-hop genre that values creativity over crass materialism. Plus, John Darnielle likes it.

5- Good lord, how good is Midlake and The Trials of Van Occupanther? One of the first shoe-in top ten of 2006 releases and it's (still) not even out yet. "Roscoe" (MP3) has been available as a download for a while now but here it is to help celebrate the anticipation (July 25th). Plus, Jason Lee likes it.

6- So this is a bit of a surprise: Bad Religion's Greg Graffin has a solo release due out July 11th on Anti entitled Cold As the Clay. Judging from "Don't Be Afraid to Run" (MP3), it's going to sound nothing like his band. Jolie Holland and the Weakerthans guest star.

7- Speaking of Winnipeg, Manitoba's favorite band, here's the Weakerthans' "Plea From a Cat Named Virtue" (MP3) going back to Reconstruction Site.

8- Finally, something new from the Chicago-based duo The Like Young. Last Secrets was recently released on the Polyvinyl record label and includes the song "For Money Or Love" (MP3).


enjoy. rinse. repeat.