Fingertips

Okay, so I'm going to jump right in here. This is the blog version of Fingertips, for those who like to experience the web via the blogosphere. Each week I'll post the latest "This Week's Finds," which are two or three songs I've come upon during the previous week that can be found as free and legal MP3s on the web. If I get around to it, I'll also post a quick rundown of stuff I've added to the web site since last week. I'm going to keep things very sketchy here; you are heartily encouraged to visit the web site itself for more information and context.


THIS WEEK'S FINDS
week of Oct. 26-Nov. 1

"Remember Me" - British Sea Power
David Bowie on speed? The Motors meet the Sex Pistols? Not sure what this ultimately reminds me of, but as I thrill to the unbridled melodic guitar-based frenzy on the loose here, it suddenly doesn't matter. Only in England do they do this, and I for one, am loving it. Apparently the band is quite the eccentric lot, complete with costumes, enigmatic album imagery, and an almost ferocious intensity in performance. Whether they end up an eccentric but forgotten U.K. flavor of the month or a memorably idiosyncratic institution within British pop history (like, say, the Smiths), it's too soon to tell. But I'm suspecting these guys aren't going to go away. By the way, when you hit the link, you'll have to scroll down to the entries for September 30th (you'll be on Pitchfork.com at that point). The song comes from the band's album The Decline of British Sea Power, which came out last month.

"Marquee Moon" - Television
Much was made at the time, and ever since, of this band's compelling but unusual approach to rock'n'roll. One of rock's great two-lead-guitar bands, Television was the first, it seems, to feature jamming guitarists who didn't root themselves in the structure of the blues. The results were unpredictable, electric, mysteriously satisfying, and resoundingly influential. The ever-watchful folks at Rhino Records have recently released a re-mastered and expanded version of Marquee Moon, the album which was this band's memorable debut. And what the heck, Rhino's even letting you listen to the whole thing online, here.

"Field of Fire" - For Stars
Carlos Foster's voice is a heady amalgam of Neil Young's and Thom Yorke's; the sheer prettiness of this voice singing this melody is offset gratifyingly by a brisk but brooding rhythm section below and a minimalist, searing guitar line above. Nice stuff. It's from the band's first CD, released in 1999; they have made three albums so far, the most recent in 2001.

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Other new items posted to FINGERTIPS since 10/19:

* Death Cab for Cutie added to Artist Index (10/20)
* Guided By Voices added to Artist Index (10/20)
* Pitchfork Media added to Minor MP3 Hubs page (10/25)
* "Marquee Moon" added to Album Streams page (10/27)