Settle Down : Kimbra

In the spirit of wrapping up the year (and writing the 100th and final post of the year), I thought I'd do a quick write up of an Australian singer named Kimbra. I first found her because she was featured in our much loved Gotye's song "Somebody That I Used to Know." She's got some wacky dance moves, but aside from that, Kimbra's got good pipes and a quirky pop sound with bite. Here's the video for "Settle Down," a single off her EP Cameo Lover. Give it a listen. I'm a fan of the fact that she's not blonde and half naked. Points for that alone. Also, she's fairly young, so hopefully there will be much more material to come our way in the future.

DJ Earworm : World Goes Boom

If you haven't had your fill of year-end retrospection, here's the anual DJ Earworm mashup up of the top 25 songs in pop music. It's loaded down with Rhianna, Pink, Katy Perry and Bruno Mars, to name a few. Happily, Foster the People make an appearance, as well as Adele (not that we're surprised).

Here's a link to the mashup from last year, which was pretty stellar.

The Musically Inclined's Top 10 Finds of 2011

Every year when December rolls around, The Musically Inclined knows two things: it's time to run and duck from the rancid strains of Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad," and it's time to step back and talk about what was great this year. 

The latter is more fun, obviously. To this point, you may have already been inundated with 'best of' lists ranging from albums, to music videos, to singles, but hopefully The Musically Inclined can offer you something slightly different. (It's Bon Iver-free!)

We'll get to that in a second. First it should be noted that 2011 was the year that saw some crazy changes in the social habits of music-listening, like Turntable.fm and Spotify's invasion of the US and your productivity. (At the moment, I'm listening to M83's danceable record Hurry Up, We're Dreaming because a friend shot it over to my Spotify inbox. Oh, brave new world.) 

2011 was also a year for monster returns, like Paul Simon, Wilco, Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. We waited and they delivered. 

Buddy Holly tribute albums ran amok and we were definitely rolling in the deep with Adele (whatever that means). 

More importantly than rounding up every little bit of significance from the year, it's time to clean house and get ready for 2012. Hopefully, it'll bring the kind of music we can hardly believe we lived without.

That said, back to the project at hand. Below are the rules for how songs can make The Musically Inclined's Top 10 Finds of 2011, and under those are the best discoveries of the past twelve months. Click here for the Spotify playlist and take them for a spin yourself. 

1. It can be any artist or band TMI hadn't listened to before January '11.
2. Songs have to be good. Catchy? Bouncy? Quirky? Sure, but mostly they just have to be solid. Doesn't hurt to be fun and mildly screwy, either.

That's all. Scroll on. 

1. Somebody That I Used to Know : Gotye

Without a doubt, 2011 belonged to Australian singer/multiinstrumentalist Gotye, even if it was only for the last four months of the year. The track comes courtesy of his latest album, Making Mirrors. The song itself is slinky and power packed. Gotye channels the best shades of Sting. Plus, you'll find some of the coolest, most unique sounds and samples on not just this song, but the whole album. Beyond all that, I'd be remiss not to mention fellow Australian singer Kimbra, who lends her vocals for the "other side of the story" of this relationship gone bad. It's a standout on an album standouts, and the music video is nothing short of excellent.

2. Time Spent in Los Angeles : Dawes

Shifting over to a very different sound, second on the list is Los Angeles band Dawes with the first track off their album Nothing is Wrong. There's some great drama in this song. After all, it kicks off with the line "These days my friends don't seem to know me." Pain! But for all the melancholic minor chords, it's a heartening story line of finding out that what you wanted all along, comes from the place you left in the first place. Frontman Taylor Goldsmith and his hearty everyman voice tug on all the right heartstrings. Home is home and sometimes nothing beats it.

3. Let's Go : Madi Diaz

Nashville should be proud Madi Diaz calls it home. Last April, I caught Diaz at Vanderbilt and knew immediately after hearing "Let's Go" that it was going to make it on the list this year. The song is airy escapism and Diaz's vocals are pretty and unaffected as usual. Bring on some good weather and an open calendar. Unconvinced? Check out the video.

4. Rivers and Roads : The Head and the Heart

The first time I heard this song, I was almost unnerved by how timely it was for my friends and I. Recently graduated and scattered, "I miss your face like hell" represented perfectly what several of us were feeling. Every lyric and mournful harmony hit a little bit closer to home. But situation specifics aside, "Rivers and Roads" builds beautifully as if to diminish the sadness. There's almost something cathartic about the loud repetition of the truth that it's "Rivers 'til I reach you."

5.  Hold On : Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes is a great reminder that there is always untapped talent out in the world. Hailing from Athens, Al, the Shakes have got a sound so solid and soulful, it's difficult to imagine they only surfaced this year. "Hold On" is the best home for frontwoman Brittany Howard's gift-from-the-rock-gods voice. If you've managed to miss the buzz on these guys, get on board, man.

6. Another Like You : Hayes Carll

"Another Like You" may not be the classiest entry on the list, but it's definitely the most fun. Hayes Carll and Cary Ann Hearst bring us a hooky ballad of the bar. Drunk, mildly belligerent and politically at odds, the guy and gal in question trade jabs and end up in the elevator "making out like Bonnie and Clyde." Hearst's Southern rasp alone would make the song if not for the clever one-liners. Good times all around.

7. Pumped Up Kicks : Foster the People

Yes. Foster the People. This year's Passion Pit. Young, peppy and high-pitched. This entry was a toss up between "Pumped Up Kicks" and "Helena Beat," the opening track to the Los Angeles band's debut album Torches. Both are good, both are catchy, but "Pumped Up Kicks" has that weird buzzy sound punctuating the background. Ergo, winner.

8. We Will All Be Changed : Seryn

This one is a bit of a late addition to the list, but in a year where folk influence and exploding harmonies ruled, "We Will All Be Changed" was a natural fit. Seryn is a band from Denton, Texas. As good as their debut album This is Where We Are is, I'm a bummed there hasn't been more talk about these guys (exempting an appearance on Paste's Best 50 albums of the year and scattered write-ups in Texas media). Here's to hoping 2012 is the year they catch on.

9. Everything Must Spin : Ryan Driver

Check out this charming, funky little track from Canadian artist Ryan Driver. "Everything Must Spin" is philosophy lite, focusing on the cyclical nature of the life. Driver drops in quirky lines like "I don't know how I got home last night, but if I did I guess I'm alright." We'll definitely keep an eye out for what else Driver has to spin. Points for the penguin on the album cover.

10. Mexican Mavis : Boy & Bear

I suppose if you start a list with an Australian, you'd best end with one... or several. Boy & Bear is an indie rock band from down under that will have you fooled into thinking that you're hearing a Fleet Foxes track in the first few moments of "Mexican Mavis." Fortunately, the band delivers more than just that. It's three minutes of cool shifts and rich layers.

So, there you have it. I'll save you the trouble of scrolling back up. Here's the link again to the Spotify playlist.

Here's to a year's worth of new music in 2012!

Ingrid Michaelson Covers Gotye

Here's something to tide you over until I post The Musically Inclined's Top 10 Finds of 2011. Whilst traversing the interwebs, I found this funky cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Ingrid Michaelson.

Nothing can really match the original song, or the video for that matter, but Michaelson's rendition is worth the four minutes. She plays all the parts and you actually get to see it. The video's either like California Youtube dalrings Pomplamoose or that guy who creates entire song arrangements with his mouth. I know. You're welcome.

Indie Claus Mix '11

File photo: Indie Claus

We're a week out from Christmas, so this is your last to overdose on all the Christmas tunes you'll hate by Jan. 1. In case you need some help in that department, it just so happens that my good buddy Indie Claus has put together a stellar Spotify playlist with the very coolest Christmas songs he could find on the interwebs, just for you. After all, a little Andy Williams goes a long way, and what could be more charming than Hurricane Bells's take on that Chipmunks classic "Christmas Don't Be Late." I kid you not. It's quality stuff. 

Anyhoodle, click below to listen to the Indie Claus Mix '11. Also, stay tuned for The Musically Inclined Top Finds of 2011 coming this week. 

Click me!

01 : Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Slow Club
02 : I've Got My Love (Remix) by Kay Starr
03 : Santa Stole My Lady by Fitz and the Tantrums
04 : Just Like Christmas by Low
05 : Christmas Don't Be Late by Hurricane Bells
06 : Jingle Bell Rock by Rogue Wave
07 : Silent Night by Class Actress
08 : The Christmas Song by The Ravonettes
09 : Christmas Time is Here by Woods
10 : Be-Bop Santa Claus by Sweet Daddy Lowe
11 : Party Hard by Zach Gill
12 : I Bought You a Plastic Star (For Your Aluminum Tree) by The Blenders
13 : Blue Christmas by Tristen
14 : I Bet on Flying High by Matt Costa

Kick in the Shins: New Album on the Way

Half a decade after Wincing the Night Away, the Shins (remember them?) have put out word that we can expect a new album sometime in March. In case you think this is another cruel fake out where they float out a bit of info and then go silent for six months, they've got album art and a track listing to back up their claim. It's ten songs and it's called "Port of Morrow."

Five years is a long time. In the meanwhile, frontman James Mercer has been busy breaking bells and firing his bandmates, so I guess we'll see how this stacks up to the rest of the Shins catalogue. Though in all honesty, I'm not worried. Mercer's sound (and really, the Shins's sound) came through so well on the Broken Bells album and EP, I'm sure this will be the follow up we've been waiting for.

In other news, I don't know about you, but that cover is some freaky stuff. It's either Donnie Darko up there or a llama. (Love child of Donnie Darko and a llama??) Perhaps. 

Track listing: 

01 : The Rifle’s Spiral 
02 : Simple Song 
03 : It’s Only Life 
04 : No Way Down
05 : September 
06 : Bait and Switch
07 : Fall of ’82 
08 : For A Fool 
09 : 40 Mark Strasse 
10 : Port of Morrow

Songs and Shows from Andrew Bird and the National

There are few better post titles I could write. Here are two pieces of very good news that will vastly improve your Sunday.

1. Thanks to music blog Pretty Much Amazing, which is very true to its name, you can stream a new track from The National. It's called "Rylan" and PMA describes it as a very Boxer-esque tune. I couldn't agree more. Think "Ada." Recorded in Toronto, pipped in to the comfort of your own laptop. Check it out below.



2. Andrew Bird finally has news of a follow up to 2008's Noble Beast. On March 5, expect Break it Yourself to hit shelves (or the interwebs, more likely). Paste reports that the album was recorded and produced by Bird himself in something called a "studio barn," which sounds like all kinds of cool. (Maybe the ox and lamb kept time, as they say.) Bird is going on tour, and if you're in Nashville on March 19, you better be at the Ryman in my stead. Here's a video to get you all nice and anxious.


Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself from Mom+Pop on Vimeo.

An Argument with Myself : Jens Lekman

Today I was sorting through songs that might make it on TMI's Best Discoveries of 2011 list. One of the rules for the list is that I can't have heard the artist or band prior to that year. Sure, it keeps the list fresh, but sometimes it means leaving off some good stuff on a technicality.

Example: Jens Lekman is a witty, quirky Swedish singer/songwriter. His last album, 

Night Falls Over Kortedala, came out in 2007 and was pretty well received in all the usual places (Paste, Pitchfork, etc.). So, I've heard this dude before, but wasn't too taken until this fall when I heard the title track off his September EP, An Argument with Myself. It's fast and clever. Madness has never sounded this sprightly and tropical. You're really going to want to catch the lyrics Lekman spits out. I love that he asks himself "You want to keep fighting? Yeah, I want to keep fighting. Fair enough."

Come to Mary : Jesse Sykes and the Sweethereafter

 Come To Mary by Jesse Sykes 

Here's a recent discovery of mine. If you're digging bands like Dawes, this will suit you well. It's "Come to Mary" by Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, a Seattle group comprised primarily of Sykes and guitarist Phil Wandscher. If you're looking for street cred, Wandscher co-founded Whiskeytown with Ryan Adams, so no, these aren't kids knocking around a basement.

I like "Come to Mary"'s spooky alt-country vibe and Sykes's unpolished voice. The song's got a really interesting feel and character, like something from the early/mid 70s. Take it for a spin.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2011 Musical Guests

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and that's extra exciting for many reasons. For one, it means lots of food. It also means the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the three-hour long prelude to the Christmas season, because my holidays don't start until Santa rides across Harold Square. It's a rule.

Since this is a music blog, after all, here's a rundown of the musical acts schedules for tomorrow. Sadly, Kanye will not be there.

Avril Lavigne

Cee Lo Green

Far East Movement

Fresh Beat Band

Mannheim Steamroller

Mary J. Blige

Rodney Atkins

Scotty McCreery

Shelby Lynne

Zendaya

I know. The star power is overwhelming. Just don't wet your adult-size footie pajamas. 

A Year to Live: The Demise of the CD

Bye bye love.

We knew it was going to happen at some point.

Side-Line music magazine reported recently that major record labels plan to abandon the CD by the end of 2012.  (Maybe that's what the Mayas saw, not the end of the world, but the end of CDs.)

I expected to freak out, battle the compulsion to go out and buy as many CDs as I could carry, and then come back the next day for more, but it's been such a long time coming, that it's hard to get worked up.

I do regret that the next generation won't have a physical music collection. I wonder what this will do to their music owning habits when they won't really be able to have a library until they have a computer. I wonder what I'd be doing with my life if I hadn't been able to run my fingers over the records in my dad's collection.

So, what comes next for the record store owners? The future of liner notes? Album art?

I imagine one day there will be a weathered little old man who lives on a mountain, who is the only person who can tell you what year Pet Sounds came out without Googling it. He'll be the lone living repository for musical knowledge that stems from love and obsession for music.

That's a bit dramatic, but it does feel like a painfully slow death– slower and more painful than it was because now there's a date off in the future, even if CDs won't mysteriously vaporize on one day.

I also wonder how many people will miss CDs. With programs like Spotify, who could miss being confined to the same 100 or so albums? It's hard to figure. In the past when an old format has died out, it was still being replaced by something physical.

Anyway, CDs will be floating around out there for a while. TMI doesn't really have any golden advice. I'm sticking it out for as long as I can.

In the meantime, if you want to continue to support your local record stores, which you should, here's a list courtesy of special Black Friday releases courtesy of the folks at Record Store Day.

The Shrine/An Argument : Fleet Foxes

The Shrine / An Argument from Sean Pecknold on Vimeo.

It's not exactly a "Happy Thanksgiving" type video, but the new Fleet Foxes video for "The Shrine/An Argument"is out and it is way weird. Think: animals' heads on pikes, some freaky indigenous tribe, and a buck on a doomed mission. I'm not sure what's going on half the time, but the animation is striking (read: hellish) Apparently frontman Robin Pecknold's brother Sean directed.

You're the One That I Want : The Lennings (Yes, from Parenthood)

Man, have I got one for you this evening. Whilst watching Parenthood on NBC, I heard a song that was sort of familiar.

"'Cause the power you're supplying, it's electrifying."

I'm sitting there thinking, "what is that?" And then BOOM. John Travolta is dancing across my brain in tight black clothing and inexplicably white socks.

Grease! "You're the One That I Want!" But it sounds like Bon Iver. Or Iron and Wine. Or some whispery indie band that's decidedly not broadway.

Let me introduce you to The Lennings, a band from Austin, TX (respect) who "blur the line between the Americana and indie pop scenes," according to their Facebook. It looks like they've got their third album slated for the winter of 2012, and if you want to read about how stoked they were to get their song on Parenthood, you can check out their blog.

This maybe the most exciting acoustic cover I've heard since discovering Obadiah Parker's soulful take on "Hey Ya" (life-changing) or Travis's version of "Hit Me Baby One More Time" (very moving).

That last one was (sort of) a joke. In all seriousness, give The Lennings a listen. Ooo ooo ooo. Honey.

*I am inspired to put together a set list of bizarre acoustic covers and take it on the road.
**I have no idea why the video features boiling water. 

Let Foster the People Pump You Up

I am way late to the party on Foster the People, but fortunately Spotify is letting me make up lost time. Here's a tune that's probably (maybe?) their best known so far, and understandably so, because it's hooky as hell. Plus, it sounds like an Instagram photo is singing to me. Check out "Pumped Up Kicks." It just might make it on The Musically Inclined's Top Discoveries of 2011 list.

No joke. Enjoy.

Brushfire Records Heats Up December

There's something I've always loved about Brushfire Records. They've just got this feel that makes me want to head West to warm climates, palm trees and sun. If you don't know, it's not only Jack Johnson's label, but the home of Rogue Wave, Matt Costa and G. Love. Happily, I saw on Rolling Stone the other day that Brushfire's releasing This Warm December - A Brushfire Holiday, Volume 2. It's an album full of  easy flowing Christmas tunes and it plays like the perfect cool Christmas music mix that you've always wanted to make.

Some of the songs are covers (Rogue Wave tackles "Jingle Bell Rock") and others are originals (Zach Gill's "Party Hard"might unseat "Christmas with You is the Best" by the Long Winters as my favorite tribute to holiday rowdiness.) Zee Avi's quirky Eastern European spin on "Frosty the Snowman" is multiple kinds of cool.

Either way, if you pick it up you won't be disappointed and proceeds go to charities benefiting children's music education. 

This Warm December hits stores on the Nov. 15. Until then, stream it courtesy of Rolling Stone. And if you're curious, Volume 1 came out in '08. Here's the Amazon link. 

Lost in My Mind : The Head and the Heart

I wrote about a sweet band called The Head and the Heart a few months ago when I first heard their killer song "Rivers and Roads." Tonight, I heard another song of theirs, "Lost in My Mind" on NBC's Parenthood, and thought I'd pass it along. I've been meaning to since the video came out a while back. It's great stuff. Gorgeous harmonies as usual. And I think one of the things about this song that I love the most is how effortless the melody is. Enjoy.

Amos Lee at the Westcott

Meant to post this last week. It's another show review I did for the Newshouse. This time around, I got to see the ever soulful Amos Lee wade against the most obnoxious bunch of middle aged people I've ever witnessed.

Amos Lee Survives Westcott

Three Shrieking Good Halloween Songs

Halloween is this week and I was thinking I've never done a post on Halloween music. So, here goes three songs for the holiday. If you can't make it out this year to do whatever it is you do on Halloween, there's no shortage of creepy tunes to keep you company.

This is Halloween : The Nightmare Before Christmas came out when I was a wee one, and instead of being scared, I was totally taken with the claymation movie that featured this intensely orchestrated and theatrical ode to Oct. 31. 

My Body's a Zombie for You : Nothing says "Halloween" like Ryan Gosling and a childrens choir. Nevertheless, Gosling's 2009 goofy-ass side project Dead Man's Bones was pretty amusing, especially because of tunes like "My Body's a Zombie for You" and its unexpected doo-wop-iness.

Tubular Bells : I used to have a CD of "scary music" that I would bust out every year. It was something like the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra covering Halloween/horror tunes and a few others like "Thriller" and the Ghostbusters theme. "Tubular Bells" was on it and when the song started, I didn't get what was so scary about it, until it started building in such an unsettling way with all those sudden jabs. Spooky stuff.

Spin Doctors at the Westcott

Here's my latest for The Newshouse. I got to see the Spin Doctors on Friday night at the Westcott Theater here in Syracuse. It was so much better than I expected, and after a crazy week and a stressful day, really loud 90s music was the best possible way to spend the evening. P.S. Somehow I managed to memorize the complete trajectory of their career, so if you have Spin Doctors questions.... I'm your girl. Also, here's a link to their appearance on Sesame Street back in the day because I think you need that.

Spin Doctors bring 20 years of Kryptonite to Syracuse

Frabbit for Free

And here I was thinking I'd be left blogging about the new Coldplay video today.

Scottish band Frightened Rabbit is offering a 3-song EP, free for download on their website. The EP is simply called A Frightened Rabbit EP. It includes "Fuck this Place" featuring Camera Obscura's Tracyanne Campbell, which TMI posted about a while back, "The Work," and "Scottish Winds."

Why should you be excited about this? Because Frabbit was giving away this very same EP during their tour with Death Cab for Cutie this fall and you were stuck in a city that loves metal and barely ever gets anyone interesting while Frabbit and DCfC traipsed through your hometown the week after you were home.

Well. Maybe.

Spit it Out : Brendan Benson

I'm glad there's finally a video on Youtube for this song, because I've been wanting to post about it since late May. It's "Spit it Out" by Detroiter (well, Royal Oak actually) Brendan Benson. You might be familiar with Benson as a solo artist who debuted in 1996 and saw some commercial success in the UK with 2005's Alternative to Love. More likely, you're inadvertently familiar with him as one of the dudes in the Raconteurs.

I caught him at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville in 2010 as part of a tribute to Alex Chilton and Big Star, so about a year later when I ran across Alternative to Love on vinyl at Grimey's New and Preloved Music, I bought it, put it it on and fell in love with track one: "Spit it Out."

I like musicians from Detroit generally because I can hear the city in what they do (Kid Rock exempted). The riff in "Spit it Out" is loose and sort of messy, but something about it evokes yesteryears– kind of like Detroit.

Anyway, take it for a spin.

Nobody Said it Was Easy: Willie Nelson Covers Coldplay

I live in a world where Willie Nelson has no awareness of Coldplay, which is why this post is somewhat confounding.

Adweek posted a story not long ago about an animated Chipoltle ad where Willie Nelson lends his signature warble to "The Scientist" by Coldplay. It's definitely worth hearing, and the ad's message of sustainable farming is a worthy one.

Of course, if there's one thing I love, it's a burrito with a cause.

Import: Gotye Will Mess You Up

Excuse me while I obsess. This weekend one of my friends sent me links to a couple music videos by an Australian (by way of Belgium) artist named Gotye (Gore-ti-yeah. Né Wally De Backer).

Said friend should know he blew my weekend to bits because I spent the entire time toggling between the two videos. Let's talk about why.

Gotye is self-described alt-pop. In his previous albums, he's worked a lot with samples of old vinyl records and cassette tapes. He seems to have major knack for getting strange and awesome sounds from unusual places. "Somebody That I Used to Know" and "Heart's a Mess" are two cuts off his third and most recent release, Making Mirrors. On both songs, I was immediately drawn in by the sounds. I still don't totally know what they are, but to give you an idea of how he works, in a 10-minute documentary he released on Youtube, De Backer talked about how he essentially made a virtual version of an autoharp, playing every single note and storing them as files that could be played back through his keyboard. The sound of the autoharp was a bit unexpected because you either strum an autoharp or play single notes slowly, not play them as you would keys.



And it just goes on. On De Backer's website, he talks about doing spur of the moment field recordings of "sound sources" and turning them in to different aspects of his songs. He raids the local thrift store for records and does crazy things horn intros from obscure Australian 60's albums.

But enough about the sound. I'd be remiss not to mention the lyrics. Sticking with the two previously mentioned songs, you can't really go wrong. I love the phrase "heart's a mess." I also love the chorus on "Somebody That I Used to Know," especially because De Backer's voice has this Sting thing going on and it leaves me wanting to run to the window and burst into "Roxanne." His writing has a very natural flow. "You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness." Killer, yeah?



Anyhoodle, when I get jealous of musicians as creative people who get to build every aspect of their projects from creating the sounds on the albums to designing album artwork (De Backer modified an old painting of his dad's with photoshop for the cover), Gotye is now the face I will put with that thought.

I will now go back to obsessing.

Jack White Covers Hank Williams

Speaking of Jack White, he's been working with Bob Dylan, Levon Helms and others on The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams. I know. We should all be so lucky to have projects like that. Anyhoodle, Rolling Stone is streaming "You Know That I Know," a track off said project.

It's pretty good. White goes for those Hank vocal quivers and manages to pull it off pretty well without being cloying. Besides that, the coolest thing is that it sounds like a Hank Williams song and it's good to hear "new" Hank after all this time.

Apparently, the songs off the album came from notebooks Williams left behind before he died and the ripe old age of 29. The tunes were unfinished, so White & co. stepped in. The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams comes out tomorrow.

Whose Casio Did You Steal?

One of the great things about having your own blog is that you have no obligation to write about things don't want to write about. For me, that means my general intent is to say "Hey, I heard this and thought it was cool. You might like it too."

This is not one of those posts. It might be because I'm sick and haven't left my apartment in four days. Maybe it's because I was genuinely disappointed this cover wasn't better. Let me just  introduce you to a song that is not really worth three minutes of your time. It's Bright Eyes covering "We're Going to Be Friends" by the White Stripes. I'll just leave it there and say I don't dig the instrumentation. After all, this is for a charity album and there's only so critical I can bring myself to be in that situation.