The Rob Gordon Shuffle, 10.29.06

Jon Auer – “Bottom of the Bottle”: mp3
Jon Auer’s Songs from the Year of Our Demise is not quite the power-pop masterpiece his tenure in the Posies and Big Star may have promised, but it’s still a strong (if overlong) guitar pop album that holds up well against contemporaries like the Pernice Brothers and the Autumn Defense. Sad stuff, but satisfying.

Citay – “Seasons Don’t Fear the Year”: mp3
Citay’s debt to Led Zeppelin and, uh, Blue Oyster Cult, is pretty clear — the band crafts mellowed-out ’70s guitar soundscapes that Jimmy Page would be proud of. This track, from its self-titled 2006 debut, is heavy on the jamming but well worth the six-minute ride.

Broken Social Scene – “Swimmers (live, XFM session)”: mp3
I think BSS fares best in these radio sessions. Stripped down and reduced to their elemental parts, the songs gain beauty through simplicity, despite the uncanny success of the band’s usual kitchen sink approach.

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The Rawking Refuses To Stop! now publishes three times a week, on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Chances are there will probably be more blogging than that, but now at least you know when I won’t be taking a day off. As always, thanks for reading.

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The Rob Gordon Shuffle is a weekly Sunday rundown of fascinating songs without particular regard to genre or timeliness. It is absolutely not a top 5.