Wishlist

Due to the engrossing world of GTA IV, Jerome beat me to the punch on a second edition of cool songs and albums. However, that won't stop me from piggybacking off the idea. Oh, and I second the Roots plug. That album is tits, so go get it.

Pretty much every recent Weezer album is bookended with disbandment rumors, and their forthcoming, yet again eponymous but will be referred de facto as "the red album," album already got the ball rolling. Add Rivers Cuomo's mental fragility when it comes to subpar album reception (see: Pinkerton). Just for the hell of it, let's also mention their base of rabid fans, some of whom I'm sure we've run into on the streets of Berkeley.

As such, every new Weezer album is a big deal, and the new one isn't gonna be an exception. I'm actually jumping on the bandwagon with this one mainly because I'm excited to hear other members take lead vocals. Somebody besides Rivers sang lead on "Why Bother" from a December 2005 Japanese bootleg, and whoever it was did an amazing job. Secondly, while "Pork and Beans" isn't exactly my cup of tea, "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" is pretty fuckin' epic.

Weezer - The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)

Melpo Mene is an up and coming artist from Stockholm. After hearing "I Adore You" on a Volvo ad, I got the old album, Holes, and it was comparable in poppy goodness. His innocuous brand of music kinda reminds me of Belle & Sebastian, and whereas Barry from High Fidelity would call it "sad bastard music," I'd just call it nice and mellow. Bring the Lions Out, on which "I Adore You" can be found, is currently in production and will probably be out in a few months.

Melpo Mene - I Adore You

The Ting Tings have been buzzing on the blogosphere and the live circuit for a few months now, and so it was kind of a shock to find out they still haven't released a full-length album yet. That'll change come May 19th, when We Started Nothing will hit the shelves.

So, the Ting Tings are a chick and a guy (like the Fiery Furnaces), and the music is, depending on what song it is, either '60s pop throwback (like the Pipettes) or funk with a thick British accent on the mic (like the Go! Team). In addition to the touring, they've gained some additional exposure through an iPod commercial (like Feist). Hopefully, when the album comes out, it'll be out on torrent sites too (like everybody else).

The Ting Tings - Shut Up and Let Me Go (KCRW live)