Dynamite Downloads Of The Week: Judd & Maggie, Hopewell…

hecklerspray's holding open casting calls for a snuff film. Now we can't promise money, any uninterrupted nights' sleep ever again, or a real good resume filler, but we can promise to wipe down most of your fingerprints and to not tell any authority figures where you live for the first several minutes of our sensory deprivation. All applicants, we're meeting along the Thames. We always meet along the Thames.

Now if you're worried about the soundtrack, don't - it'll be fantastic.  With any ounce of luck it'll include the too-cool likes of Hopewell, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, Eels, Hooverphonic, Judd & Maggie, and Crosstide. 

Hopewell: Safe As Milk off The Curved Glass
(There's a reason these guys can sound wonderfully Flaming Lips-ish - they've shared a band member or two. They're also somehow an offshoot of Mercury Rev. Not only that, but hecklerspray has given all of them an open invitation to join our band Nordic Thunder. The demos we sent them included lots of rubber band plucking, our editor thumping his emaciated stomach Bobby McFerrin-style, and a loop of our neighbour telling us to put our pants back on for the love of all that's holy. Thus far we've not even a nibble. No, seriously.)

Hooverphonic: Mad About You off The Magnificent Tree
(Hooverphonic is both old school and cutting edge at the same time. If you're worried the song title implies it's got some relation to that romantic sitcom from all those years ago - fear not. If you're worried the song title implies they know it was you who somehow sprayed tartar sauce all over their curtains, drapes and dog - fear.)  

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's: Quiet as a Mouse off The Dust of Retreat
(This album, it's a real good one. It's so good, in fact, it's rumoured to be the soundtrack to which Israel and Hezbollah signed their ceasefire. At first they were fighting it, but then this track came on and everyone started giggling, hugging, and neck kissing like it was a Johnson family reunion. The word 'Mouse', it seems, means 'Gonad' when loosely translated into Arabic.)

Eels: Things the Grandchildren Should Know off Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (Disc 2)
(hecklerspray loves Eels. We've recommended them billions of times, and we were shocked earlier this morning to see this song hadn't yet made the list. It's our favourite track off their latest album, and more oft' than not, covers us in goose bumps. At least we think it does - it's hard to see through all the arm-hair and dried syrup.)  

Judd & Maggie: Sleeper off Subjects
(Let's just get this right out of the way: Our favourite part of this one is towards the end when both band members are singing different lyrics conjointly. It's a powerful moment, it's a tearful moment, and most importantly it gave us a chance to use the word conjointly. But this song's also the moment we realised the tremendous good that can come from a brother/sister combo like Judd & Maggie. If our own siblings hadn't been permanently ripped away from us by a faulty foster-care system so long ago, we'd probably join forces with them too - end African jobless-ness or something. We'd make them all system administrators.)

Crosstide: Angeles off To: Elliott / From: Portland
(Out of all today's recommends, these guys are the newest to us. The album for which this terrific tune was culled is a tribute to Elliott Smith. As long as the city of Portland is sending him a message, Seattle'd like to say 'Hey What's up?', and Brunswick, GA says his mom was great last night. Ill timed - we know, but Brunswick swears he'd laugh. Anyway, if someone could tack '…Re: Your Mom Was Great Last Night' onto that album title, you might just get a Brunswick city key. Seriously, they really do that down there.)

Now listen to these beautiful choices via the magic of Napster

[story by Shawn Lindseth]