The holidays are officially over. Everybody’s done gone back to work and left me alone to wallow in my joblessness. At least I still have music. Sweet music, you haven’t left me, right? You’ll stay with me always. But you’re fading, getting softer. I can barely hear you. Is this the end of it all? Goodbye cruel… Oh, the song’s over. Damn you music and your trickery!

Beach House – Devotion
This is really just Mazzy Star as chamber music. I’m digging it, though I’m a little confused.

Chairlift – Does You Inspire You
I downloaded this because the song on the iPod commercial is so damn catchy. (“I tried to do handstands for you…”) Not a bad album, though that’s the best song.

Early Day Miners – Offshore
I’m sucker for any band with a morose-sounding, three-word name (Red House Painters, Great Lake Swimmers, et al). This one’s a little heavier, but does not disappoint.

Kiln – Holo [re/lux]
This is where we get into the ambient instrumental portion of our program.

Radian – Juxtaposition
A little heavier, but only like 2% milk is to skim.

Fluke – Puppy
A little heavier, like whole milk is to 2%. And add in vocals to distract me from my deep thoughts.

Radiohead – In Rainbows
This album gets just a little better each time I put it on. Given that I paid full price (they deserve my money), that’s saying something.

Today was one of those weird non-holiday weekdays when no one was at work (or online). Except for my wife, that is (someone has to make some money in this family). Of course every day is a day off for me. And every day is a work day. Unemployment is the worst of both worlds.

This is a very roundabout way of getting to my point, which is today’s playlist. As Shannon would sing, “Let the music play…”

Air – Virgin Suicides Score
Depressing movies about teenage suicide always have great music.

Califone – Roots & Crowns
Experimental with middling results. This album didn’t grab me like the previous one. But every so often I give it another shot.

Caribou – Up In Flames
This earlier album is new to me… kind of promising.

Wheat – Hope and Adams
Slo-core from a great band. At least they were great until a major label chewed them up and spit them out.

The Warlocks – Heavy Deavy Skull Lover
Grinding dirges, otherwise known as happy fun-time music

The Walkmen – You & Me
They manage to be spacey and still rock… very cool.

The Weepies – Hideaway
Music for dramas on The WB (when it existed) in which teenagers pined after each other. I’m talking to you, Dawson.

Hiroshi Watanabe – Genesis
Dreamy electronica from the Japanese guy who also goes by Kaito. Many names, one sound.

Kaito – A Million Light Years
I barely noticed that the last album drifted right into this one.

Ballboy – A Guide For The Daylight Hours
Snarky Scots who sing songs with titles like “You Can’t Spend Your Whole Life Hanging Around With Arseholes” and “I Wonder If You’re Drunk Enough To Sleep With Me Tonight.” What’s not to like?

I always forget something when I travel. The best case scenario is to forget something that I don’t really need (like my toothbrush, um, I mean, a magazine) or something I can replace for a couple dollars (like a toothbrush). This time didn’t work out that way.

I forgot to bring CDs. Most of the time, the trusty iPod is fine, but not in MD, where every trip requires a car. “Norm,” you might say, “there are ways to play the iPod through the car stereo.” And you’d be right. But my mom’s car stereo doesn’t have a jack, and the attachments that play an iPod on an open frequency are spotty around here. So it was four days of driving to the radio, during the holiday season. Sound a little like hell?

I’ve heard a ton of crap, big steaming piles of it. I’ve also heard some decent stuff that didn’t make me reach for a pen to stab out my eardrums. But before we get to the list, I have a question:

Why does radio love Supertramp and Steve Miller so much?

Supertramp has one decent album with three decent songs that I’ve heard five times a day everyday. Steve Miller is like classic rock water. It goes down easy, but you’d rather have something that tastes better… like Tom Petty or The Police (not Sting, The Police). These acts have been all over the radio too, and I’m ok with that.

[Me stepping off the soapbox]

Here are the really good songs I’ve heard this week, inspired by four days of hitting the scan button. And by really good I may mean really bad, or I may mean really good. You be the judge. If I turned up the volume and sang along, it made the list. The louder I turned up the volume and the louder I sang (the sum of which = total rockitude, I believe), the better the position on the list.

Survivor – “I Can’t Hold Back”
Ever seen Survivor and Foreigner in the same room?We might be on to something here.

The Who – “Baba O’Riley”
No comment required, great song.

Journey – “Don’t Stop Believin’”
The tighter the jeans, the higher the notes.

Kansas – “Carry On My Wayward Son”
See, geography can rock.

Boston – “More Than A Feeling”
Like I said, geography…

Guns N’ Roses – “Patience”
Being acoustic worked against them – harder to be loud.

Elton John – “Tiny Dancer”
Imagine the scene from “Almost Famous” but in a car, in the suburbs, without anyone else around.

Van Halen – “I’ll Wait”
They could have moved up with “Ice Cream Man” or “Panama.” See what you did inanely chattering DJ guy?

Gerry Rafferty – “Baker Street”
This guy is tied with Rupert Holmes (“Escape (The Pina Colada Song)”) for most obscure artist who sings a song everyone would know if they heard it.

Crosby, Stills and Nash – “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”
You know, the long song with all the ‘do do dos’ at the end.

And to preempt the two most obvious questions…

I am not ashamed.

Wham – “Last Christmas” would have placed between Journey and Kansas had I heard it.

It’s not that my apartment has been completely silent. It’s not that I’ve been working in front of the TV – though I did watch Office Space again the other day (so funny!). It’s… well… I don’t know why I’ve been holding back on my playlists. But the buck stops here.

Sun Kil Moon – April
This is fast becoming one of my favorite albums of 2008. Mark Kozelek can do no wrong.

Great Lake Swimmers – Great Lake Swimmers
I was feeling oh so pensive this morning.

Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends
What kind of name of Garfunkel? What kind of name is Elrod? Touché.

Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
I resisted this album for a long time, probably because everyone kept telling me how good it is. Don’t resist, give in.

Daydream Nation – Daydream Nation
Ah, bands that wish they were Sonic Youth. And I don’t even like Sonic Youth.

Alphaville – Forever Young
A friend of mine chided me for not playing this on 80s day. See what you made me do. Are you happy now?

Ulrich Schnauss – Goodbye
Or as my wife calls him, “The Schnauss.” Modern keyboard music to get me back into this decade.

Kaito – A Hundred Million Light Years
This guy’s trying to out Schnauss The Schnauss, and doing a pretty good job.

The good news is my internet at home is back in full force. The bad news is I’m way behind, so no comments. Sucks to be you, because I already know what I think.

Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends
The Field – From Here We Go Sublime
Luna – Rendevous
The Magnetic Fields – Distortion
My Morning Jacket – Z
Mogwai – Mr. Beast
The High Violets – To Where You Are
Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark – Best Of
The Outfield – Play Deep
Hooverphonic – New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular

What a banner day of looking at job boards and listening to music! I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing than job hunting (the music part I love). Maybe dental surgery… yeah that would be better. Cleaning the local subway station with my tongue would be worse. So the job hunt falls somewhere between dental surgery and licking grimey tiles. But the music part was awesome.

U2 – Achtung Baby
One of their best, before they fell behind the curve. I can’t believe this album is 15+ years old.

The Stratford 4 – The Revolt Against Tired Noises
Another good pickup from the WFMU record fair. I already had the downloads from eMusic, but never listened. Check it out if you think Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is a little heavy for your tastes.

Boards Of Canada – In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country
Trippy, but less hip-hoppy.

Doves – The Last Broadcast
I usually go straight for their first album, especially since hearing “Words” to advertise the NFL Network. But holy crap, still a great album!

Chicane – Behind The Sun
This one is starting to sound a little pedestrian, as 90s electronica often does. But it still has it’s moments.

The Honeydrips – Here Comes The Future
The first song always grabs me but the rest comes up a little short.

Pluramon – The Monstrous Surplus
A bit of a throwback to female shoegazer stuff (Pale Saints, Lush, etc.). But alt retro seems to be all the rage. And this one reminds me of my days in college radio.

The Stills – Oceans Will Rise
Still getting used to this one. But me likes what me hears.

The Black Angels – Directions To See A Ghost
Dark and brooding. Check it out if you think Black Rebel Motorcycle Club should trade in all the pills for a healthy dose of devil worshipping.

The Books – The Lemon Of Pink
Samples and bits of songs can be made into other songs. DJ Shadow proved it and these guys do too. Though I think they play some instruments as well. Solid.

It would make more sense if I posted the albums for the day on the actual day. But that seems to be a little much for me at this point. I’ll add it to my list of goals.

And maybe some actual comments about the albums – is that too much to ask for? I think I can handle that one.

Here we go, for all you music geeks…

Voyager One – Dissolver
It’s weird how certain songs and albums can put you in a certain place and time, kind of like smells. This puts me on the LIRR heading to one of my jobs. Not where I wanted to be necessarily, but still.

Golden Smog – Down By The Old Mainstream
Wilco meets The Jayhawks meets Soul Asylum. I found this at the WFMU record fair a few weeks ago for maybe $1. Nice.

Sun Kil Moon – April
This one took me awhile to get into, like all his albums under whatever moniker. You just have to be in the mood for music this slow and depressing.

[The] Caseworker – When I Was A Young King
Kind of monotone and downtempo, but well done.

Mum – Finally We Are No One
Those wacky Icelandic types and their wacky machines.

A-Ha – Hunting High And Low
Yeah, that’s right, “Take On Me.” Big whoop, wanna fight about it? My first concert, or maybe my second. I’m so old I can’t even remember.

Pet Shop Boys – Very
To be gay and in the city… This is a great pick-me-up album late in the afternoon.

Spiritualized – Songs In A&E
Still stoned, still can’t sing and still putting out great albums.

Pernice Brothers – Yours, Mine & Ours
Pretty close to a perfect pop album, tinged with just enough melancholy.

A lot of electronic stuff today. And some 90s classics I dusted off. Some good headphone music for sitting in a cafe nursing a cup of coffee for 3 hours and taking advantage of free internet.

A Studio – Yearbook 1
Insides – Euphoria
Longwave – There’s A Fire
Massive Attack – Mezzanine
Nyles Lannon – Chemical Friends
Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour
Kitchens Of Distinction – The Death Of Cool
Boards Of Canada – Twoism
Air – Talkie Walkie
Lemon Jelly – Lost Horizons

My wife suggested I link everything to Amazon and set up a store. I like her thinking. This could be the first step in creating my vast unemployment empire.

I don’t have the pile of CDs in front of me. But here’s much of what I’ve been listening to this week…

Band Of Horses – Cease To Begin
Caribou – Andorra
The Church – After Everything Now This
The Editors – An End Has A Start
Kiln – Dusker
Longwave – The Strangest Things
Josh Rouse – Dressed Up Like Nebraska
Tears For Fears – The Seeds Of Love

So while I wasn’t feeling the job search, I did get to listen to music all day. Who said unemployment can’t rock?

The Clientele – The Violet Hour
Riverside – One
The High Violets – Satellite Remixes
The Verve – Forth
Failure – Fantastic Planet
Pete Yorn – Nightcrawler
Iron And Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
Junior Boys – So This Is Goodbye