Music To Get You Through The Freakin' Week, pt. II

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks (2010)

I like this in five words (or less) because: Catchy, diverse, happy and loud
Favorite songs: Bottled Up In Cork, Where Was My Brain, Mourning In America
For fans of: Punk rock through the eyes of an on-the-verge pop innovator / Elvis Costello ethos in 2010 music / good, fun music

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (2010)

I like this in five words (or less) because: Smart, poppy, groovin' and classic
Favorite songs: Some Kind Of Nature (Lou Goddamn Reed!), On Melancholy Hill, Plastic Beach
For fans of: Damon Albarn, Blur and Kylie Minogue musically fornicating, Hip-Pop.

Flake Music - When You Land Here, It's Time To Return (1997)

I like this in five words (or less) because: Creative songwriting with minimal production
Favorite songs: Spanway Hits, The Shins, Blast Valve
For fans of: The Shins, Built To Spill, Weezer

Note: I listened to this blindly; it came on my iPod and I had no idea who it was... but I loved it. Once I discovered that it was the precursor band to The Shins, I actually decided to give The Shins a real, fair chance. I found that I truly love this album and the work the Shins would go on to create in the years to follow. I never liked The Shins until I was tricked into liking them. Funny how the world works.