PopMatters Sponsor

Jolie Holland
“Springtime Can Kill You” [MP3]
“Springtime Can Kill You” is a haunting ballad rooted somewhere in old-time Americana, roots music and turn-of-the-century country-folk. The song floats beautifully atop the scurrying, rapid taps of a symbol and wafting piano notes. You’ll never hear a more beautiful song about death in your life.

Gomez
video: “How We Operate” [windows | quicktime]

Nathan Asher and the Infantry
“Sex Without Love” [video]
“Storms” [video]
“Sex Without Love” [MP3]
“Storms” [MP3]

Human Television
“In Front of the House” [MP3]

Jennifer O’Connor
“Exeter, Rhode Island” [MP3]

LeToya
video: “Torn” [windows | real | quicktime]

—PopMatters Staff

FEATURED ARTIST
The Fever
“Redhead” [MP3]
“Waiting for the Centipede” [MP3]
With a name like The Fever, there’s a whole lotta heat to live up to. Thankfully, their sophomore album, In the City of Sleep, is the cure to that dancing itch you just can’t scratch; with a fuller, darker sound inspiring The Fever’s songwriting to reach new heights.

Lady Sovereign
“Hoodie (Mizz Beats Remix)” [MP3]

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
“Young Shields” [MP3]

Ladyhawk
“The Dugout” [MP3]

Young and Sexy
“Conventional Lullabies” [MP3]

Beirut
“Mt. Wroclai (Idle Days)” [MP3]

—PopMatters Staff

FEATURED ARTIST
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness
“According to Plan” [MP3]
multiple songs [MySpace]
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness formed during the summer of 2001 in Austin, Texas. Members past and current have been involved with previous Austin bands Windsor for the Derby, Paul Newman, Glorium, and Salute the Curse. Utilizing a simple lineup of three guitars, bass, drums, and the occasional keyboard, the band picked up stylistically where previous projects had left off, featuring intricate guitar interplay and simple but effective song structures. The previous two years have been spent touring and writing music for their first full length LP, Fear Is On Our Side, an understandably more dark and gritty affair than their debut. 2006 will be a year full of touring, writing, and recording new material.

The Futureheads
“Skip to the End” [MP3]

Cosmic Starfish
“Fish in a Bowl” [MP3]

Silversun Pickups
“Kissing Families” [MP3]

Peter Walker
“What Do I Know” [MP3]

Espers
“Mansfield & Cyclops” [MP3]

—PopMatters Staff

PopMatters Sponsor
The Gossip
“Standing in the Way of Control” [MP3]
“Ain’t It the Truth” [MP3]
“Fire Sign” [MP3]
“Sweet Baby” [MP3]
multiple songs: [MySpace]
The first thing that strikes you is the rhythm. The Gossip have been making punks dance since they debuted five years ago, long before dance punk existed.

The Raconteurs
“Steady, As She Goes” [windows]
“Store Bought Bones” [windows]

The Fiery Furnaces
“Benton Harbor Blues” [MP3]
“Nevers” [MP3]
“Waiting to Know You” [MP3]

Peter Walker
“What Do I Know” [MP3]

Morcheeba
“Everybody Loves a Loser - Cassettes Won’t Listen Remix “ [MP3]

Cities
“A Theme” [MP3]

—PopMatters Staff

PopMatters Listening Party
Be Your Own Pet

Tracklisting:  Summer Sensation EP
1.  Bicycle, Bicyle
2.  Girls on TV
3.  Fire Department
4.  Take That Walk
5.  Hillmont Avenue
[stream the entire CD] [Insound | Amazon]
The music of the Nashville-based foursome, Be Your Own Pet, is an aural concoction of artful punk rock and teenage enthusiasm.  Be Your Own Pet are releasing the warm up EP, Summer Sensation, on April 18th to get us amped for their upcoming full-length album out June 6 on Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace label.

The BellRays
“Maniac Blues” [MP3]
“Third Time’s The Charm” [MP3]

Think About Life
“Paul Cries” [MP3]
“Serious Chords” [MP3]

Built to Spill
full album stream of You in Reverse [AOL]

—PopMatters Staff

PopMatters Sponsor
The Weepies
“Take It From Me)” [MP3]
multiple songs: [MySpace]
“The way Talan and Steven Tannen harmonize makes me feel totally comforted and warm, and frequently, for some reason, on the verge of tears… There’s no pretension here, no artifice, no beats by Fisher Price, and absolutely nothing hip. They won’t make you look cool to your extended MySpace network, but there’s absolutely nothing guilty in the pleasure of listening to them.” — PopMatters

Eagles of Death Metal
full album stream of Death By Sexy [AOL]

Billy Bragg
“Bush War Blues” [MP3]
“The Lonesome Death of Rachel Corrie” [MP3]
“A New England” [MP3]

Think About Life
“Paul Cries” [MP3]
“Serious Chords” [MP3]
multiple songs [MySpace]

The Candy Bars
“Enough to Choke on Cold Air” [MP3]
“Violets” [MP3]

—PopMatters Staff