Music For Listeners 05/02/2020

1) Beastie Boys-"Country Mike's Theme"  From the compilation album 'Anthology: The Sounds of Science'.
2) Margo Price-"Twinkle Twinkle"  From the forthcoming album 'That's How Rumors Get Started'.
3) Gorillaz-"Aries (feat. Peter Hook and Georgia)"  From the brand new EP 'Song Machine Episode 3'.
4) Dutch Uncles-"Big Balloon (Low Four Session)"  From the brand new album 'Live at Old Granada Studios'.
5) Melenas-"No puedo pensar"  From the forthcoming album 'Dias Raros'.
6) Tim Burgess-"Laurie"  From the forthcoming album 'I Love The New Sky'.
7) Dream Wife-"Hasta La Vista"  From the forthcoming album 'So When You Gonna...'.
8) Hooton Tennis Club-"Monsoonal Runoff"  From the brand new AA digital single for "Monsoonal Runoff"/"People Want People Who Want People".
9) Mattiel-"Subterranean Shut-In Blues"  From the brand new compilation album 'Quarantunes: Songs from Self-Isolation #1 by Burger Records'.
10) PINS-"Ghosting"  From the forthcoming album 'Hot Slick'.
11) Pip Blom-"Sell by Date"  From the brand new digital single for "Sell by Date".
12) Working Men's Club-"White Rooms and People"  From the brand new digital single for "White Rooms and People".
13) Small Crush-"All I Need"  From the album 'Small Crush'.
14) Stephen Reyna-"Generous"  From the brand new digital single for "Generous".
15) Los Yesterdays-"Time"  From the brand new compilation album 'Penrose Records Vol. 1'.
16) Diet Cig-"Night Terrors"  From the brand new album 'Do You Wonder About Me?'.
17) Mourn-"Jumping Someone Else's Train"  From the EP 'Mixtape'.
18) Lewsberg-"Through The Garden (Single Edit)"  From the brand new album 'In This House'.
19) Thoughts Detecting Machines-"Heart & Hands"  From the brand new digital single for "Heart & Hands".
20) The Monkees-"You Just May Be The One (Live)"  From the brand new album 'The Mike and Micky Show - Live'.
21) Catholic Action-"I'm No Artist"  From the brand new album 'Celebrated By Strangers'.
22) Little Dragon-"Every Rain"  From the brand new album 'New Me, Same Us'.
23) The Mauskovic Dance Band-"Space Drum Machine (Detroit Swindle's Flute Mix)"  From the digital single for "Space Drum Machine (Detroit Swindle's Flute Mix)".
24) Laura Marling-"Held Down"  From the brand new album 'Song For Our Daughter'.
25) Hazel English-"Shaking"  From the brand new album 'Wake Up!'.
26) Electric Light Orchestra-"Eldorado Overture"  From the album 'El Dorado'.
27) Electric Light Orchestra-"Can't Get It Out Of My Head"  From the album 'El Dorado'.
28) Perlee-"Conditions to Thrive"  From the brand new EP 'Slow Creature'.
29) Hugo Manuel-"The Grey Lawns Cold Where Gold, Where Quickgold Lies!"  From the brand new 'The Starlight Night'.
30) The Orb-"The Weekend It Rained Forever (Oseberg Buddha Mix The Ravens Have Left The Tower)"  From the brand new album 'Abolition of the Royal Familia'.
31) "The Mid-Morning Recording"             XTC-'Nonsuch'
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love the band XTC. They are most likely the most under-appreciated band in the history of pop music. I mean, they do have a strong cult following, and they did break out into the mainstream with a couple of tunes, but as far as sheer talent of the craft of writing a song, they are up there with the Nilsson's, the Chilton's, and the Sturmer's of the world with the level of success. They are one of the few bands that never made a outright bad album. They changed here and there to offer up a creative evolution to their sound, but they never failed to make something worthwhile each time out. Even though it was made almost 30 years ago now, 'Nonsuch' is considered later period XTC. This was their third to last studio album, with only the two volumes of Apple Venus to follow in 1999 and 2000. I know some people who think 'Nonsuch' is their strongest album, and it is a strong album. It is not my personal favorite of their catalog, but once again, they never made a bad album, and every period of XTC has an appealing sound. It's a mature album, and it is a pretty dark and brooding release. Some like that more. It does features some of their best songs including "The Ballad of Peter Pumkinhead", "Dear Madame Barnum", and "The Smartest Monkeys", just to name a few. It's always a pleasure to listen to a good album that I haven't heard in a while. It was nice to listen to this one during the stay at home period during the pandemic that has gripped the world at this time. It's dark, but it is also hopeful in the humor of the recording. "Strike up the band love, and let the show begin. For this is the last time I'm painting on a grin" - Michael - MFL
32) James-"Sayonara"  From the album 'Wah-Wah'.