The Be Good Tanyas - "The Littlest Birds". The gorgeous, lift-me-up opening tune from the Be Good Tanyas' debut, from the days when Jolie Holland was still a Vancouver-dwelling member. (There's also a solo Jolie version on Catalpa.) This thing scampers and smiles, hopping from rounded stone to rounded stone, tree-leaves fluttering with the darting of small birds. The women play as they sing, the banjo laughs in the back, the drums clap their brush hands and a guitar slides in between the lake-splashes. A free-wheeling delight, a song for the first moments of morning, for slipping into a day that will be rosy and blue and happy and free. These "wandering blues" are tricky things - wonderful, even if the sunset's eventually going to come (later! later!). "I love you so dearly / I love you so fearlessly. / ... / I don't want to leave you / I love you through and through." A violin scampers in at the end, for a little twirling dance. [buy]

The Waifs - "Up All Night". Another Australian track from Laura, albeit in a different vein than Cat Empire's slinking pop. The Waifs are a three-piece from Melbourne, with sisters Donna and Vikki who handle most of the vocals. Here, however, it's Josh Cunningham doing a slow, gravelly tune - like M Ward on a long and dusty trail. A guitar twangs remorsefully, brushed drums drag. This song is for a long night, a small fire, a full belly, and eyes that flicker with nostalgia. [buy]

In the mail today, I received samples of Heavy.com's Sumosonic sampler series. As Matthew said, these are some really fine comps - tracks by Andre 3000, The Streets, Von Bondies, Telefon Tel Aviv, Dntel, the Secret Machines, Dangermouse and Jemini, etc etc. More than a few things I've heard via other mp3blogs, too - and at least one track (El-P and Cage's "Oxycontin Pt. 2", off Def Jux III) that I had planned to post here. In short, they're well worth the USD$3.33 postage to bring them to your door - and I say that honestly, not as a corporate shill, - but probably not whatever rip-off premium they'll ask to ship them to Canada. Thanks to Matt @ heavy for the hook-up (and I hope yr cat is doing ok).

Gmail Swap's been metafiltered, kottke'ed, slashdotted, sensible erectioned, and if the referrers are any indication, will be farked imminently. Spoke to the washinton post today. As for the impact on Gramophone - extremely negligible. All of 72 people have hopped from gmail swap to here, (keep in mind that g.s. is receiving more than 10,000 unique hits a day). And I'm kinda glad. We don't need the hordes elbowing in. (PS: Blogger is once again offering Gmail invites. So if you [unlike me] are an "active" blogger, go and nab one)

Congratulations to Mystical Beast, Tofu Hut and Largehearted Boy for winning the Morning News' Awards for Online Excellence (Music Blogs).