Oh, Scrappy. I'm so sorry for you and your family's loss.

For Al Green, "Take Me To The River" can never steer you wrong. It's a classic and it avoids his typical love-man persona.

For TS Monk, Steph's got a good suggestion in "Ruby, My Dear," but my personal choice would go towards "Sweet and Lovely" (the Thelonious Monk Trio version), "Bemsha Swing" (Brilliant Corners has my favorite version, but there's one on just about every major Monk recording), or "Brilliant Corners" itself, because it's my absolute favorite Monk tune.

I'm not a big fan of Modest Mouse, and iTunes helpfully informs me that I've never listened to the one album in my collection all the way through, but I like the name of the song "Talking Shit About A Pretty Sunset."

I'm trying to figure out how she got to be a fan of Davey, Dozy, Beaky.

Since she's a fan of Anne Frank I'll note that there are several lovely and prayerful songs about her on Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

Songs about suicide and young lives cut short and finding some peace with their ghosts.

Wu Tang: "Da Mysteries of Chessboxin'" is sorta philosophical. "Protect Ya Neck" is pretty fun boastful stuff. Both are on the first album (36 Chambers).

I like Kanye's "Champion" off his most recent album, too.

I'm trying to figure out how she got to be a fan of Davey, Dozy, Beaky.

Ditto. Mid-'60s British pop band doesn't seem to fit the rest. They're worth checking out, but I can't think of any of their songs that would be appropriate for your purpose.

Oasis -- maybe "Don't Look Back in Anger." "Wonderwall" can be quite comforting but is from the point of view of the comforter, so I'm not sure it would fit.

I'm trying to figure out how she got to be a fan of Davey, Dozy, Beaky.

I'm assuming she saw Death Proof.

The Breeders have a new album “Mountain Battles” coming out in the US on April 8th. To celebrate it’s release they had a Record Release Party where they played the entire album off of a vinyl test pressing at a V.F.W. in my hometown of Dayton, OH.

I listened to the first song - it's awesome! (Link goes to video of the party, with the album playing....)

[link]

Thanks for the link!

I can't watch the video now - what's the title of the song?

So, I'm putting the final touches on my April Showers mix, and I was excited to find The Best of Burt Bacharach at the library, so I could get "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head". I get home, pop in the CD, and... it's all instrumental. This is marked nowhere. I know he's the composer part of the team, but really, who wants "Alfie" or "What the World Needs Now is Love" as an instrumental?

ETA: Oh god, it's worse than I thought, a couple of songs do have words, but they are sung by a chorus of women using a lot of ooh ooh oohs.

Oh god, it's worse than I thought, a couple of songs do have words, but they are sung by a chorus of women using a lot of ooh ooh oohs.

Among the lounge collecting crowd these are called "abstract vocals" which are parsed for signature vocalizations from "Zuu zuu zuu" for Esquivel to the Beach Boy-esque "Ba ba baaa."

They're really best on science fiction themes (see: "Star Trek") evoking a sense of soaring and limitless wonder. Or possibly tiresome muzak.

There are collections of Bacharach available with the original hitmaking singers, btw.

I'm going to put these in the tiresome muzak category.

There are collections of Bacharach available with the original hitmaking singers, btw.

I'm sure there are, just not at my local library. But they made up for it by having the Mighty Wind soundtrack.