"Very Busy People" - The Limousines

The first time I heard MGMT's "Time to Pretend" I was not only blown away by the instrumentals, but cynically admired how great the actual lyrics are. I think The Limousines must've taken a page from their book when they recorded this song--their debut single. Its lyrics really up the cynicism ante, as they poke fun at all the vices and shortcomings comprising modern life that we're not proud of, but no less guilty. Though I don't think they achieve the same level of success as MGMT, it's certainly a noble effort. And on the plus side, atleast this song has a happy ending.

"Now We Can See" - The Thermals

Despite this song's chorus sharing a striking similarity to the Tarzan Boys' 80s hit Jungle Life, I'm still a sucker for it. I'm sure this is partly because the lead singer's voice and cadence remind me a little of Placebo front man Brian Molko. Like all things hip, The Thermals hail from Portland, Oregon. You can check them out at the Black Cat on Wed May 13.

"Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" - Tracy Jordan

The other day a group of friends and I gathered for our first ever Passover seder. As the group was primarily composed of gentiles, the night was a chance for many to learn that Jewish culture is more than just Ponzi schemes and Tay-Sachs. Despite a few minor hiccups, I'd say the evening was a success and a fun night was had by all. On a similarly Semitic note, I discovered this gem of a song today while browsing for new music on the Hype Machine. Unbeknownst to me, a brief clip of this song was actually featured during a Season 2 Episode of 30 Rock. If you missed this episode as well, have a listen and (hopefully) a laugh.

"Virginia" - Jeremy Messersmith

Since starting this blog, one great site I've stumbled upon for discovering new artists is The Hype Machine. This site pulls content from scores of handpicked music blogs, allowing you to sample them all in one convenient place. As I was looking over the recent posts, this song naturally caught my eye being someone born and raised in the grand old Commonwealth. After one listen I immediately dug it, and as far as Virginia-centric songs go, it easily blows away anything Train ever put out. Thanks to Whale In A Cubicle for the suggestion.

Virginia - Jeremy Messersmith

"Too Fake" - Hockey

I have no idea how this Portland, Oregon 4-some came up with such a random name for their band. Perhaps they chose "Hockey" because they literally wanted to be associated with something cool??? Ha! Anyways, they certainly have the whole indie rock sound perfected by the Strokes down to a tee. Don't be surprised to hear them playing the next time you head into your local Urban Outfitters.

"Turn it Up" - The White Stripes f / Kanye West

Is 2009 the year of the concept mash-up album? First DJ Minty Fresh Beats threw Radiohead and Jay-Z into a blender to give us Jaydiohead. Not wanting to miss out on the party, Adrian Champion has performed a similar feat in doing the same thing for the White Stripes. However unlike Jaydiohead, his Stars and Stripes Project is not merely confined to one rap artist -- but rather includes such luminaries as Outkast, Nas, Biggie, and Kanye. The album can be downloaded for free from his site -- god bless fair use laws.