Music is My Favorite Waitress

Recently, my lady-love Sheree made me a CD. I would use many words to describe this CD, but I think she encapsulated it best by naming it none other than....XANADU! I think that the appropriateness of this title is born of the fact that listening to the music that she assembled inspired me to seek out awesome rock-tastic music wherever it may be found, much like a roller disco founded by Swan from The Warriors, Gene Kelly, and a muse that looks a lot like Olivia Newton John.
Thus, I wish to make public the results of my fledgling quest so that others may partake and rock. May Zeus watch over me as I continue down this wonderful and treacherous path....

1. Ratatat: 2 dudes + 1 keyboard + 2 guitars x 60,000 killer riffs = something special. All of their stuff is instrumental, and they have done numerous remixes for Biggie Smalls and other notable Rapsters. Basically, this stuff will get you all jazzed up until you foam at the mouth and pass out.

2. Klaxons: This is another techno-roboto duo that just happened to crash land in my back yard during one of those terrible snowstorms that we've been having lately. That being said, there are times when I feel like a total geek for liking these guys. They've got a pretty heavy sci-fi/fantasy vibe ("Half-man, half-horse as he still pollutes my thoughts he rides on a flame in the sky/Four horsemen 2012...Klaxons not centaurs!").

3. Black Kids: Props to Sheree for introducing me to these guys. I haven't heard too much of their stuff, but everything that I have experienced has been totally bitchin'. There's this song that they have called "Hurricane Jane" that is sooo sweet. It's like listening to "The Look of Love" by ABC freak dance with "If You Want My Body" by Rod Stewart.

4. The Wedding Present: There's this online customizable radio genome project thing called Pandora that I have to thank for recommending these guys. They kinda remind me of The Church, but that's about all I can really compare them to (it's even stretching it a bit). Oh, and they also do a wicked cover of "Where Everybody Knows Your Name." You know. The theme song from Cheers.

5. Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs: Pretty awesome alt-country group. Even cooler, you can get a couple of their songs for free off of their Myspace page.

Now, here's a quick list of some other bands that have been blowing my mind (again, props to Sheree for always being ahead of the game)

Born Ruffians, Haha Tonka, Los Campesinos!, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, The Streets, Mark Ronson, CSS, Lightspeed Champion, and The Whigs

En-freakin'-joy.