"You can't build cathedrals out of finger steeples"

Thao Nguyen's song Tallymarks off her solo album "Like the Linen" has some of my favorite lyrics ever. I'm normally not into meta songwriting, but the song is so adorable that I can forgive her and embrace the embarrassed, sweet little chorus.

"But I think I might miss you enough to say so,
and I think I already did.
Well, I think I might miss you enough to say so.
There you go, I just said it again."

Tallymarks - Thao Nguyen

Although I generally prefer her work with the band on "We Brave Bee Stings and All", this track is well worth a listen (or twelve, in my case).

Define "obsession"...

When does an addiction start? That first listen, I barely paid attention to "We Brave Bee Stings And All". In fact, I didn't even think I liked it. On the third or fourth listen, I became endeared to it. On the tenth listen... well, I had listened to the album ten times in one day. I knew half the words and was ready to name Thao with the Get Down Stay Down as my favorite band of all time. Once I managed to turn the music off, I realized that such drastic decisions were not to be made under the influence of wonderful jangly indie folk.

Thao Nguyen's voice sounds similar to Chan Marshall's, but it's a touch less smoky and a touch more, well, weird. It's like she's straining her voice, but unlike an inexperienced singer, she makes grasping for notes sound really, really good.

Bag of Hammers - Thao with the Get Down Stay Down
Swimming Pools - Thao with the Get Down Stay Down

Picking those two tracks to share was a difficult decision (even though "Beat" is already posted in the entry before this). Nearly every listen through the album gives me a new favorite song, which means I've had seven or eight favorites already. The full album length is only a half hour, which is perfect for the new listener, because it needs a second listen to lodge itself in your brain. But beware: Thao is moving in, painting the walls, and bringing all the heavy furniture. These songs do not plan on leaving your head anytime soon.

"We Brave Bee Stings And All" by Thao with the Get Down Stay Down. Get your hands on this CD.

Coffee Cups -- February 21, 2008

Step Into My Office, Baby - Belle and Sebastian
Snow (Hey Oh) - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Buttons - Sia
Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me - The Pipettes
Fallen From The Sky - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
Us (MC DJ Remix) - Regina Spektor
Middle Of Nowhere - Hot Hot Heat
Beat (Health, Life, and Fire) - Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down
Naive - The Kooks
Fiery Crash - Andrew Bird
Crash the Party - OK Go
Big Brat - Phantom Planet
Bounce That - Girl Talk
Direct Hit - Art Brut
When You Were Young - The Killers
Evil and a Heathen - Franz Ferdinand
Crooked Teeth - Death Cab for Cutie
Hate To Say I Told You So - The Hives
Apply Some Pressure - Mark Ronson ft. Paul Smith
Way Too Much - Chromeo
Danger! High Voltage - Electric Six
Tripping Billies - Dave Matthews Band
Let's Get Back - No Doubt
Your Phone's Off The Hook But You're Not - X
Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth - The Dandy Warhols
Girl On The Wing - The Shins
Come On! Feel the Illinoise! - Sufjan Stevens
Tearing Up The Oxygen - Maritime
Mi Wawa - Daby Toure
Inside and Out - Feist