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The best recommendation services in the world can’t top the human recommendation model. It’s perfect. Someone knows a few bands you like, they calculate it in their heads, and BLAM, the next new love of your musical life is waiting for you to hit play on.

Many companies go out and try to analyze what we might like next based off what we have previously listened to. Some do a great job of this (Echo Nest, Pandora) But their algorithms are missing something big. EMOTION.

Music is a feeling, a passion. I might suggest to someone that a band has moved me to tears and will move them the same way. Over half of the time, I am right. (the other half I send them to the web…)

One lovely woman named Mary Broome is my shining example for this week’s episode. (I don’t have weekly episodes by the way. Just felt like the right random thing to say)

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There are bands I listen to once and make a snap judgment if I will be into them or not. If someone showed me one track by Kid:Nap:Kin I would probably pass. All I can say is I am SO glad this wasn’t the case with them.

Kid:Nap:Kin is a Boston born band who has some of the most devoted followers I’ve ever met. Their music is like coffee, beer, or Bob Dylan. You get a little taste and kind of understand the appeal, but know that people are really into it. Then you get the second and third taste and say “HOLY SHIT. I NEED more of this”. Am I comparing Kid:Nap:Kin to a drug? Seems so.

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I have impatiently waited for this day to come. Today, May 11th 2010, marks the release of The National’s highly anticipated follow up to “Boxer”, “High Violet”. It’s been here. Not officially, but it’s been here.

Albums leak well before their anticipated release date. This is just a simple fact today. Also, bands decide to release singles as a trickle to entice listeners. I could have grabbed a copy of “High Violet” like so many thousands of people did before the official release. So why did I wait until today to finally give it a proper listen (except the stream they gave us on NYTimes.com and NPR)?

One simple reason: My incredible respect for “Boxer” and the brilliant work of the band and Peter Katis.
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You might see this photo and wonder, “What the hell? I thought this was a respectable music blog??” Well, hopefully it is. And hopefully you’ll hear me out on this one, and probably agree.

‘Toxic’ may be the best example of the perfect pop song I have seen in this decade. New pop music comes and goes and I rarely tap into Top 40 radio. But this song was able to stretch past those Top 40 boundaries and reach all music lovers (snobs and jazzheads alike).

What is so special about this song? Britney has had a career full of singles that people can’t really ignore. They’re catchy pop tunes performed by an attractive woman-girl-lady-female (pick one, I always get it wrong). But ‘Toxic’ has something special. It has every element of a great pop song wrapped into a bundle even a stork would hang on to. (odd reference, I know…)

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Don’t you feel like the luckiest person in the world when great music happens to fall into your lap? Well, I sure do. And it just happened to me.

I was minding my own business, sitting at work, when my friend Gradon decided to shoot something my way. It was a link to the upcoming release of the new Quiet Company EP. I take music recommendations very seriously when they come from folks who have similar musical tastes. So I gave it a quick listen despite all of the work I should have been doing at that point. GOOD THING I DID.

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Some albums are growers. Some just hit you in that sweet spot you can’t describe in words. The latest EP ‘Ghost Rendition‘ from Slow Runner is one of those albums that bites you in the ass and doesn’t let go. Thing is? The bite is short but very sweet.

With only 3 songs recorded on their latest EP you might think, “Why would I listen to this? The longest song clocks in at 3:01? This won’t even last me one stop on the train!?” In a time where downloading singles is popular, why would you not take the ADD route and get 3 songs that are actually meant to be listened to together?

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It’s hard for me to promote new artists on this site because most times I feel like the guy 15 minutes late to the party. This is not going to stop me from telling you the tale of Jim Kroft.

Jim and I have never met (although I’d kill to). All I know of him is his music, his gorgeous videos, but more importantly, his amazing personality. And this shines through with his incredible enthusiasm for creating and recording his art. The tale of Jim Kroft is really not that different from any other artist out there in the world. He makes music and believes it is something people will enjoy. Well, he is absolutely correct. But he has one HUGE advantage above the rest. Jim is that person out there who you want to approach, not get approached by.

Have some fun and check out his appeal in the DIY video for ‘The Great Doomsday Story’:

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