Suburban Kids With Biblical Names

when i read the sticker on this album--"swedish folk/pop/rock - a little Postal Service, a little Pavement, a LOT of fun!"--i had to give it a listen.  i'm not sure how well they live up to the comparisons, but it certainly is fun.  #3, put out by chicago's mintyfresh label, sounds just like two guys messing around and having fun with overdubs.  the vocals--lead and background--resemble jens lekman, and the lyrics are often sort of stream-of-consciousness.  here is "parakit." i really enjoy the hallelujahs in this song, suggesting something sacred about the subject matter of his hometown.  

Softly and Tenderly

this is a great hymn from the movie junebug

Kate Walsh

apparently there is another kate walsh who is an actress on some tv show that came up when i searched for her on the internet.  this is not her.  this is a folk singer from the uk.  a little on the commercial side sometimes, tim's house is a soft, sweet folk album.  here's "your song," the first track from the album.  the way she sings it kind of makes you wish it was your song.

Andrew Bird Live

i recently saw andrew bird play at millennium park, and this being the second time i've seen him, i think i can say there is nothing that really comes close to his live performance--at least not within his genre.  it's amazing what he can accomplish with the unlikely combination of violin and various pedals--most notably the loop pedal--and you really can't appreciate this in his recordings.  he also has a great personality that he incorporates into the set for songs like "nervous tic motion" and  "why?" where he is very conversational and eccentric in his gestures.  on top of that, he plays through some very interesting-looking amps that have these giant horns on them like from an old phonograph (pictured).  apparently xrt was broadcasting the show live on the internet, but i haven't been able to find any good recordings yet.  for the time being, here's video i found on youtube from another concert:

Norwegian Pop

apparently they don't like to be mistaken for each other, but i figured since their countries are right next to each other i didn't want to leave norway out after that post on swedish pop.  here are a few artists i like:

Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue

Kings of Convenience - Misread

Dylan Mondegreen - Girl in Grass