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Music Reviews

Friday

Song Of The Day

The Soundtrack Of Our Lives Gets Cosmic

Anchored by an unwavering drumbeat that staggers along as if it has a sprocket loose, "The Ego Delusion" nonetheless has little intention of unsettling those within earshot. With a bass line as steady and inertial as an oil derrick and guitars that drop onto the song like flickering rays of warm sunlight, the song unfolds into one shivering, shimmering whole.

'The Ego Delusion' by The Soundtrack of Our Lives

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Thursday

Song Of The Day

Ruthie Foster (Quietly) Tells The Truth

"I Really Love You" finds Foster singing to a guy who isn't that into her, pleading, "If you could only feel all the love I have for you." But she's not hitting him over the head with a gutbucket blues growl. Her warm and grainy voice is utterly conversational, totally natural and effortlessly charming.

'I Really Love You' by Ruthie Foster

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Wednesday

Song Of The Day

RH+: Chilean Pop, Dreamy And Danceable

By breaking the boundaries of what contemporary Latin music is "supposed" to sound like, RH+'s "What About" feels simultaneously dreamy and danceable — two elements that don't always mesh within the span of an album, let alone a five-minute single.

'What About' by RH+

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Tuesday

All Songs Considered

Music You Should Love But Don't, Allen Toussaint, Vieux Farka Toure, More

Is there music you know you should love, but for whatever reason just don't? For Bob Boilen, Green Day is one of those acts. Also on the show, Sunset Rubdown, Danger Mouse, Allen Toussaint and more.

Music You Should Love But Don't, Allen Toussaint, Vieux Farka Toure, More

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Song Of The Day

Robyn Hitchcock: Honesty And Hesitation

In "I'm Falling," venerable British songwriter Robyn Hitchcock sings a remarkably tender and characteristically un-straightforward love song. Ostensibly written about Beatles manager Brian Epstein's feelings for John Lennon, the song captures the dizziness and confusion of all great romances.

'I'm Falling' by Robyn Hitchcock

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Monday

World Cafe

The Wooden Birds: A Mellow 'Magnolia'

XPN

After building an underground reputation for the mellow, textured sounds of American Analog Set, Texas-based singer-songwriter Andrew Kenny has returned to his native state to work on his latest group, The Wooden Birds. With easy morning melodies, background whispers and lo-fi poetics, Magnolia is simple, intelligent and moving.

The Wooden Birds: A Mellow 'Magnolia'

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Friday

Song Of The Day

Iron And Wine: Springlike And Springy

Iron and Wine's "Belated Promise Ring" finds Sam Beam basking in the sweet spot between darkness and delicacy, turning the melancholy near-misses of a star-crossed couple into four almost impossibly dreamy and graceful minutes of pop music.

'Belated Promise Ring' by Iron and Wine

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Thursday

'Dark Night Of The Soul' Finds The Light Of Day

Though it's already made its way to the Internet, one of the year's most talked-about albums may never be officially released. The questions keeping Dark Night of the Soul from coming out are as mysterious as the music. The Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse project with David Lynch is the perfect marriage of joy and sorrow.

'Dark Night Of The Soul' Finds The Light Of Day

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Old-Fashioned Cover Band Shoots For The 'Stars'

Fresh Air

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles are a Boston-area quartet raised on punk rock and country music. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews their new album, The Stars Are Out.

Old-Fashioned Cover Band Shoots For The 'Stars'

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Wednesday

Eminem: A 'Relapse' Of Horror?

A full year out of rehab, the controversial rapper Eminem is back with Relapse, his first album since 2004. Curiously, he brings back an obscure rap subgenre called horror-core, and critic Robert Christgau thinks he should have stayed home a little longer.

Eminem: A 'Relapse' Of Horror?

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Song Of The Day

Pomegranates: Fun With Effortless Precision

On its second full-length release, Everybody Come Outside, the Cincinnati band has produced not a cobbled-together collection of singles, but a suspenseful novel in lush art-pop form, valuing atmosphere over hooks while continuing to surprise with each innovative twist. Still, "Southern Ocean" stands alone.

'Southern Ocean' by Pomegranates

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Tuesday

Song Of The Day

Art Brut: One Bloke's Arrested Development

Throughout the English garage-pop band's third album, singer Eddie Argos dispenses self-conscious jokes about love, adulthood and rock 'n' roll itself. Outfitted with a turbo-charged bar-band stomp, "DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake" possesses one of the most memorable shout-along choruses in the Argos arsenal.

'DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake' by Art Brut

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Monday

World Cafe

Roman Candle: Backroads Charm

XPN

A darling of the local scene in Chapel Hill, N.C., Roman Candle evolved near the UNC campus in the late '90s. The band's latest, Oh Tall Tree in the Ear, has touches of lyrical dreaminess, a bit of pop and some North Carolina backroads charm.

Roman Candle: Backroads Charm

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